Banser Members Form Tight Barricade at Yaqut's First Pretrial Hearing

Former Religious Affairs Minister under Indonesia’s seventh president Joko Widodo, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, personally attended the first hearing of the pretrial petition he filed on Tuesday (24 February).

Based on observations by CNNIndonesia.com, Yaqut was present in the Oemar Seno Adji courtroom at the South Jakarta District Court. He was seen accompanied by his legal counsel, Mellisa Anggraini and associates.

As of 10.20 Western Indonesian Time, Yaqut was still waiting in the courtroom as neither the respondent — the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) Legal Bureau — nor the single presiding judge assigned to case number 19/Pid.Pra/2026/PN JKT.SEL had yet appeared.

The first hearing was also attended by numerous members of Barisan Ansor Serbaguna (Banser), the semi-autonomous paramilitary wing of Gerakan Pemuda Ansor, who stood guard in front of the court building.

Meanwhile, when contacted separately, KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo said the KPK Legal Bureau team was unable to attend the first hearing.

This was because the Legal Bureau team was also required to appear at four other pretrial hearings.

According to CNNIndonesia.com records, the same day also saw continuation hearings for pretrial petitions filed by the Head of the Hulu Sungai Utara (HSU) District Prosecutor’s Office Albertinus Parlinggoman Napitupulu, HSU District Prosecutor’s Office Intelligence Section Head Asis Budianto, and fugitive PT Sandipala Artha Putra President Director Paulus Tannos alias Tjhin Thian Po.

“The KPK, through its Legal Bureau, has requested a postponement for today’s hearing given that the team is simultaneously attending four other pretrial sessions,” Budi said when contacted via written message on Tuesday (24 February).

In his petition, Yaqut requested the single judge at the South Jakarta District Court to annul three Investigation Orders (Sprindik) that formed the basis for the KPK’s legal proceedings against him as a suspect in the alleged additional hajj quota corruption case.

The three documents in question are Letter Number Sprin.Dik/61/DIK.00/01/08/2025 dated 8 August 2025; Letter Number Sprin.Dik/61A.2025/DIK.00/01/11/2025 dated 21 November 2025; and Letter Number Sprin.Dik/01/Dik.00/01/01/2026 dated 8 January 2026.

This was one of the petitum points submitted by Yaqut in his pretrial petition, as directly communicated by South Jakarta District Court Public Relations Officer Rio Barten.

Yaqut, along with his Special Staff member Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex, was named by the KPK as a suspect in the alleged additional hajj quota corruption case. However, neither has been detained.

The KPK has, however, requested the Directorate General of Immigration to reimpose a six-month overseas travel ban on Yaqut and Ishfah until 12 August 2026.

During the ongoing investigation, the KPK has searched a number of locations including Yaqut’s residence in Condet, East Jakarta, a hajj and umrah travel agency office in Jakarta, the home of a Religious Affairs Ministry civil servant in Depok, and the offices of the Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah Administration at the Religious Affairs Ministry.

Substantial evidence allegedly connected to the case has been seized, including documents, electronic evidence, four-wheeled vehicles, and property.

According to the KPK’s preliminary calculations, the case is suspected to have caused state financial losses exceeding Rp1 trillion. The KPK is still awaiting the final audit being conducted by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).