Disparity in KPK's Treatment Highlighted After Yaqut Becomes House Detainee
Spotlight on the detention of former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, now changed to house arrest, continues to emerge. Now, the difference in the KPK’s treatment of former Papua Governor Lukas Enembe during his detention is also being raised.
Lukas Enembe was a suspect in a bribery and gratification case involving infrastructure projects in the Papua Provincial Government. During his detention, Enembe repeatedly applied for suspension of detention on health grounds, but these were always rejected by the KPK.
When Yaqut’s detention status shifted to house arrest, the public then highlighted the KPK’s differing stance towards Lukas Enembe.
The spotlight on the KPK’s differential treatment of Yaqut and Lukas Enembe was voiced by Coordinator of the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI) Boyamin Saiman. He expressed astonishment that the KPK granted Yaqut’s request for house arrest despite being in good health, while rejecting Enembe’s suspension requests when he was ill at the time.
“What makes it amusing is the KPK’s reason because of a family request, and Lukas Enembe previously, even though there was a family request, it wasn’t granted, even until he died in detention. Even when he was sick, it wasn’t granted, but this YCQ is perfectly healthy and it’s suspended,” said Boyamin on Sunday (22/3/2026).
According to detikcom records, Lukas Enembe was arrested by the KPK in Papua on 10 January 2023 over alleged bribery and gratification related to infrastructure projects in the Papua Provincial Government. Enembe was then brought to Jakarta and began serving detention at the KPK Detention Centre from 11 January.
During the detention process, Lukas Enembe, through his legal team, repeatedly applied for suspension to become city detention. The reason used at that time was Enembe’s unstable health condition.
Those requests were rejected by the KPK. The KPK Spokesperson at the time, Ali Fikri, said that the health of KPK detainees, including Enembe, was routinely monitored by the medical team.
“We will first check the letter in question, but certainly the KPK does not detain suspects in the detention centre without basis. For health matters, KPK detainees are very well attended to; legal counsel should focus on the defence. Of course, proportionally in accordance with legal mechanisms, convey that this suspect is cooperative so that the entire case handling process runs smoothly,” said Ali on 25 January 2023.
Failing to become city detention, Lukas Enembe was also recorded as having sent a letter to the KPK Chairman at the time, Firli Bahuri. The letter contained a request for him to be given the opportunity to seek treatment in Singapore.
That request was again rejected by the KPK. The KPK stated that the assessment results from the medical team indicated Lukas Enembe was healthy and could be detained in the detention centre until the trial process.
“From the assessment of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) executive board, it is clear that he is fit to interview. Meaning, he has full awareness, meaning he can communicate for examination, including fit to trial. Examinations can be conducted for legal purposes,” said Ali Fikri on 7 February 2023.
Lukas Enembe remained in the KPK Detention Centre until he was found guilty by the court. The former Papua Governor then passed away on 26 December 2023 due to illness, and all corruption cases ensnaring him were declared ended by law.
KPK’s Softening Stance Towards Yaqut
Differential treatment was then given by the KPK to Yaqut. The former Minister of Religious Affairs was detained by the KPK since Thursday (12/3) after becoming a suspect in the Hajj quota corruption case. Just seven days in detention at the KPK Detention Centre, Yaqut’s detention was then shifted to city detention on Thursday (19/3).
The change in Yaqut’s detention status was also not first announced by the KPK. Yaqut’s absence from the KPK Detention Centre was initially revealed by the wife of former Deputy Minister of Manpower Immanuel Ebenezer (Noel), Silvia Rinita Harefa, after visiting Noel during Eid on Saturday (21/3).
“This one, earlier I didn’t see Gus Yaqut. The info is he left on Thursday night,” said Silvia at the KPK Detention Centre on Saturday (21/3).
After the wife’s testimony went viral, the KPK then spoke out and stated that Yaqut had become house arrest. The KPK acknowledged that the change in detention status was not related to Yaqut’s health condition.
“Not because of illness. It’s indeed because there was a request from the family side, then we processed it,” said KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo to reporters on Sunday (22/3).
The KPK also explained the differential treatment received by Yaqut compared to Lukas Enembe. Budi only stated that each investigation has a different case handling strategy.
“Why different from LE? Each investigation process certainly has different conditions and case handling strategies, including in detaining someone as a suspect,” explained Budi.