Corruption Commission: Yaqut ordered Gus Alex on 2024 hajj quota since November 2023
Jakarta — The Corruption Eradication Commission suspects that Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, whilst serving as Religious Affairs Minister, ordered his special staff member Ishfah Abidal Aziz, known as Gus Alex, regarding the distribution of an additional 20,000 hajj quotas for 2024 beginning in November 2023.
Deputy for Prosecution and Execution at the KPK, Asep Guntur Rahayu, explained that the suspicion originated from communications between technical staff at the Indonesian Hajj Affairs Office in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Gus Alex concerning the activation of the e-Hajj application and Indonesia’s main hajj quota of 221,000 having been entered into the system.
“After receiving this information, IAA conveyed that the additional 20,000 quotas would be divided in half, or 50 per cent equally, based on directions or orders from YCQ,” Asep stated during a press conference held in Jakarta on Friday.
Asep stated that Gus Alex subsequently engaged actively in communications with various parties regarding plans to separate the 221,000 main hajj quotas from the 20,000 additional hajj quotas.
“Why must they be distinguished? Because irregularities have already begun to occur,” he said.
Additionally, Asep noted that Gus Alex communicated with the Saudi Arabian Government to ensure that the decision to distribute additional hajj quotas did not appear to violate Law Number 8 of 2019 concerning the Implementation of Hajj and Umrah Pilgrimage.
“In those communications, IAA stated that the individual discussed and received directions from YCQ as Religious Affairs Minister,” he said.
On 11 August 2025, the KPK announced preliminary calculations of state losses in the case exceeding Rp1 trillion and prevented three individuals from travelling abroad for up to six months ahead.
Those prevented from travel were Yaqut, Ishfah Abidal Aziz (IAA) alias Gus Alex as Yaqut’s staff member, and Fuad Hasan Masyhur as owner of the hajj organisation bureau Maktour.
On 9 January 2026, the KPK announced that two of the three individuals subjected to travel restrictions became suspects in the alleged hajj quota corruption case: Yaqut and Gus Alex.
However, Yaqut filed a pre-trial motion challenging the 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 27 February 2026, the KPK announced that it had received an audit from the State Audit Board (BPK) regarding state financial losses resulting from the hajj quota case. Subsequently, on 4 March 2026, the KPK announced that state financial losses from the case totalled Rp622 billion.
On 11 March 2026, the judges’ panel at South Jakarta District Court rejected Yaqut’s pre-trial motion.
On 12 March 2026, the KPK detained Yaqut at the State Detention House Branch of the KPK’s Red and White Building.