Anti-Corruption Centre Urges KPK to Bring Yaqut to Court
A researcher from UGM’s Centre for Anti-Corruption Studies (Pukat UGM), Zaenur Rohman, has expressed hope that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will swiftly conclude proceedings in the alleged hajj quota corruption case following the detention of former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas.
“Clearly, with this detention, my hope is that this case will soon be brought to court, promptly tried, so that it becomes transparent and does not provoke unnecessary public speculation,” Rohman stated when contacted on Thursday, 12 March.
“With this detention, the KPK must genuinely prioritise this case so it can be resolved quickly, brought to court promptly, so that everything becomes clear,” he added.
Regarding the possibility of detaining other suspects in the same case, Rohman noted that the decision lies entirely with the investigators. He stated that if KPK investigators deem it necessary to designate new suspects, this should be done accurately and carefully.
Rohman also noted that in KPK’s case handling practice, the designation of suspects followed by detention is often conducted when the case is deemed ready for prosecution to court.
According to him, accelerating the trial process is important so that the public can monitor the case’s progress and determine whether other parties are involved in the matter.
Furthermore, Rohman stated that the authority to detain suspects is part of the legal process available to the KPK. He explained that this measure has a clear legal basis in the criminal justice system.
He elaborated that detention authority rests with investigators and is regulated by criminal procedural law provisions. Detention decisions typically consider several factors established in procedural law, such as the suspect’s potential to flee, destroy evidence, influence witnesses, or obstruct the investigation process.
However, in practice, suspects often reject or question the reasons for detention, claiming they have been cooperative throughout the investigation.
Nevertheless, suspects retain the right to pursue various legal remedies if they object to the detention imposed by investigators. “Therefore, suspects are welcome to exercise their legal rights, such as filing for judicial review,” he said.
The detention of Yaqut is important to accelerate the legal process whilst clarifying the course of the ongoing investigation.
The KPK detained former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas over alleged corruption in the hajj quota system. The suspect allegedly received fees of Rp84.4 million per quota through code T0 transactions.
The KPK revealed that state losses from the hajj quota corruption case amount to Rp622 billion. Former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has been formally detained on suspicion of hajj quota manipulation.
The KPK seized assets valued at more than Rp100 billion, including five parcels of land and buildings, related to the hajj quota corruption case involving former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas.
The KPK revealed that corruption funds from the hajj quota scheme flowed to the personal interests of former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut and allegedly to influence a parliamentary special committee. The KPK revealed that the hajj quota corruption scheme operated at rates of Rp65–84 million to bypass queue allocations. The KPK formally detained former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas over the 2024 hajj quota corruption case.
The Anshor Multipurpose Organisation (Banser) visited the KPK headquarters when Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas was questioned as a suspect in the hajj quota corruption case.
The KPK formally detained former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas over the hajj quota corruption case that caused the state Rp622 billion in losses.