Breaking News: KPK Detains Former Religion Minister Yaqut Cholil Qaumas
Jakarta — The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has detained former Religion Minister Yaqut Cholil Qaumas on Thursday, 12 March 2026, after his pre-trial motion was rejected by the South Jakarta District Court (PN Jakarta Selatan) the day before.
Qaumas appeared in an orange detention vest after being questioned as a suspect. According to observations, Qaumas descended from the KPK interrogation room wearing the orange vest, prompting the KPK’s decision to detain him. The KPK has not yet provided complete information about the detention and will issue a statement at a press conference at 19:30 WIB.
As he headed to the detention vehicle, Qaumas denied receiving any money from the hajj quota case, asserting that he had only prioritised the safety of hajj pilgrims. “I have never received a single rupiah from the case that has been alleged against me, and I carried out all these policies purely for the safety of the pilgrims. That is what I can convey,” Qaumas said at the KPK’s red-and-white building in Jakarta on Thursday.
Qaumas initially indicated he was requesting a rescheduling of today’s interrogation, but then unexpectedly appeared at the KPK. He even denied asking for a postponement of today’s interrogation. “There was no such request for postponement,” Qaumas told journalists upon arriving at the KPK on Thursday, 12 March 2026.
Qaumas stated that he came to comply with the KPK investigator’s summons. He arrived wearing a white shirt with a black peci (Islamic cap) and was accompanied by his legal team. “I am attending a summons from KPK investigators,” Qaumas said. When asked about the potential for his detention today, Qaumas responded casually. “Ask yourself,” he replied.
Qaumas also said he was using the interrogation as an opportunity to provide a statement. “This is my chance to provide a statement,” Qaumas said.
Previously, Asep Guntur, Deputy for Enforcement and Execution at the KPK, when asked when the KPK would detain Qaumas, stated that the matter required many prerequisites, including formal and material requirements, as well as subjective and objective conditions. “We will have to wait and see,” he said.
On 9 August 2025, the KPK announced it had begun investigating alleged corruption involving the determination and administration of hajj quotas at the Religion Ministry during 2023-2024. On 11 August 2025, the KPK announced that the initial calculation of state losses in the case reached more than Rp1 trillion and imposed travel restrictions on three individuals for six months. Those restricted from travelling were Yaqut, Ishfah Abidal Aziz (known as Gus Alex), Yaqut’s staff member, and Fuad Hasan Masyhur, owner of the Maktour hajj organising bureau.
On 9 January 2026, the KPK announced that two of the three individuals under travel restriction had become suspects in the alleged hajj quota corruption case: Yaqut Cholil Qaumas and Ishfah Abidal Aziz. However, Yaqut filed a pre-trial motion against his designation as a suspect with the South Jakarta District Court on 10 February 2026, registered under case number 19/Pid.Pra/2026/PN JKT.SEL.
On 19 February 2026, the KPK announced it had extended the travel restriction only to Yaqut and Gus Alex, with Fuad’s restriction not being extended. On 27 February 2026, the KPK announced it had received an audit from the Indonesian Supreme Audit Board (BPK RI) regarding state financial losses from the hajj quota case. On 4 March 2026, the KPK announced that state losses from the case had reached Rp622 billion. On 11 March 2026, the panel of judges at the South Jakarta District Court rejected Yaqut’s pre-trial motion.