Celebrating Eid at Home, Gus Yaqut: Alhamdulillah, I Could Pay Respects to My Mother
Former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, alias Gus Yaqut, has expressed his gratitude for being able to celebrate Eid al-Fitr with his family after his detention was switched to house arrest. The suspect in the alleged corruption case involving Hajj quotas was returned to KPK detention facility after undergoing house arrest from Thursday (19/3/2026) to Monday (23/3/2026).
Yaqut acknowledged that the house arrest was a request from his family. He is thankful that the request was granted, allowing him to celebrate Eid with his family.
“Yes, alhamdulillah, I could pay respects to my mother, to my dear mother,” said Yaqut at the KPK’s Merah Putih Building in Jakarta on Tuesday (24/3).
Yaqut became subject to house arrest on Thursday (19/3). The switch in detention status was based on a family request on 17 March 2026.
The request was approved considering Article 108 paragraphs (1) and (11) of Law Number 20 of 2025 on the Criminal Procedure Code.
On Monday (23/3), the KPK officially revoked Yaqut’s house arrest status and returned him to the KPK Detention Centre (Rutan). KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo confirmed that his office processed the return to the original detention type for Yaqut.
Budi said that before being placed back in a detention cell, Yaqut must undergo a series of medical procedures. Currently, Yaqut is at Bhayangkara Hospital Tk. I R. Said Sukanto (RS Polri) in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, to ensure his health condition.
“In the process, a series of health examinations for the individual are required. For now, the examination by doctors is still ongoing at Bhayangkara Hospital. We all await the results of these health tests,” Budi added.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has officially revoked the house arrest status of former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (YCQ) and returned him to the KPK Detention Centre (Rutan).
Former Deputy Minister of Manpower, Immanuel Ebenezer or Noel, will apply for a change in detention status. Noel is currently detained by the KPK as a suspect in an alleged extortion case.
Former KPK investigator Praswad Nugraha has launched sharp criticism at the KPK Spokesperson regarding the detention status of former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas being switched to house arrest.
Herdiansyah Hamzah assessed that the KPK granting house arrest status to ex-Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas degrades the institution’s dignity.
Legal observers have criticised the KPK over the switch in detention for Yaqut Cholil Qoumas to house arrest. This policy is seen as non-transparent and raises suspicions of special treatment.
Budi stated that the detention is for the needs of the investigation into the alleged bribery case in the organisation and distribution of Hajj quotas at the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
The KPK emphasised that the additional 20,000 Hajj quotas for 2024 should have been for regular pilgrims who had been queuing for 47 years, not diverted. See the latest facts in the Yaqut case.
Zaenur also mentioned that in KPK case handling practices, the determination of suspects followed by detention is often done when the case is deemed ready.
Yaqut Cholil Qoumas’s legal counsel assessed that the pre-trial judge only considered the quantity of evidence without assessing its quality in the alleged corruption case of the 2024 Hajj quota.
KPK Investigation Director Asep Guntur Rahayu said he would soon summon former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas regarding the alleged corruption in the diversion of additional Hajj quotas for 2024.