Detained by KPK, Former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Denies Accepting Any Bribes

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has formally detained former Religious Affairs Minister (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, known as Gus Yaqut, on suspicion of corruption involving hajj quotas.

Yaqut was detained following his examination as a suspect in the corruption case at KPK headquarters in Central Jakarta. The former minister exited the building wearing an orange detention vest whilst maintaining his innocence regarding the alleged bribery charges.

“I have never received a single rupiah from the case I have been accused of, and I implemented all these policies purely for the safety of the hajj pilgrims,” Yaqut stated as he was escorted to a detention vehicle on Thursday, 12 March 2026.

Previously, Yaqut explained his rationale for dividing the additional hajj quota for 2024 into a 50:50 split between special and regular quotas. He stated that his primary consideration was safeguarding the lives of hajj pilgrims due to limited capacity constraints.

“The third point I must convey is that the issue that has befallen me is one we all understand concerns hajj quotas,” Yaqut told reporters following a pre-trial hearing at the South Jakarta District Court on Tuesday, 24 February 2026.

“My sole consideration when determining the quota distribution was the preservation of life (hifzhun nafsi) — protecting the safety of pilgrims due to the limited space available in Saudi Arabia,” he added.

Yaqut further emphasised that hajj administration falls not solely under Indonesian government jurisdiction. Rather, there exists an agreement with Saudi Arabia.

“We must understand that hajj falls under Saudi jurisdiction. It is not solely the authority of the Indonesian government. The jurisdiction lies there. We are bound by Saudi Arabian regulations, including quota distribution, as there is a Memorandum of Understanding that we rely upon, from which the Religious Court Decree (KMA) was derived,” he stated.