DPR Member: If It's Going to Be Transferred, Better Yaqut Shouldn't Have Been Detained from the Start
Jakarta - A member of Commission III of the House of Representatives from the NasDem faction, Rudianto Lallo, criticised the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) decision to switch the detention status of former Minister of Religious Affairs (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas to house arrest.
According to Rudianto, this step raises public questions because it was done just about a week after the detention.
“Why not from the start, no need to detain him, it would be better not to detain him than to detain him and then transfer it secretly like that after a week,” said Rudianto when contacted by Kompas.com on Monday (23/3/2026).
Rudianto also highlighted the transparency aspect in the detention transfer process, which he assessed was not done openly.
“When he was designated as a suspect, it was publicised with great fanfare using an orange vest. When the detention was transferred, it was done secretly, and it was even exposed by the wife of one of the detainees; this is what needs to be answered to the public,” he explained.
He added that this step is deemed unusual in handling corruption cases and has the potential to create perceptions of special treatment.
“In my opinion, this is what? The public is treated like a joke. And in my view, this is unhealthy, unhealthy in our law enforcement process,” Rudianto assessed.
Previously, the KPK stated that the detention transfer for Yaqut was part of the investigation strategy in the alleged corruption case of the 2023-2024 hajj quota.
KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo said the detention transfer was carried out following a request from the family side.
“Investigators carried out a change in the type of detention for suspect YCQ, from detention at the KPK detention centre to house arrest, since Thursday night (19/3/2026),” said Budi on Saturday (21/3/2026).
Yaqut was previously detained at the KPK detention centre since 12 March 2026 after being designated as a suspect.
He is charged in the alleged corruption case of the 2023-2024 hajj quota with state losses reaching Rp 622 billion.