Flood of Criticism for KPK Over Former Minister Yaqut Becoming House Detainee

The detention status of former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, who has been placed under house arrest, has drawn significant attention. The KPK is accused of granting Yaqut special privileges and failing to act transparently.

According to a detikcom summary on Monday (23/2/2026), the change in Yaqut’s detention status was not first announced by the KPK. Yaqut’s disappearance 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 time, I didn’t see Gus Yaqut. The info is that he left on Thursday night,” said Silvia at the KPK detention centre on Saturday (21/3).

Yaqut’s disappearance from the KPK detention centre also raised questions among other KPK detainees. Silvia said her husband and other detainees did not know the reason for Yaqut’s release from his cell.

“Everyone knows about it. They were just wondering, saying there was an examination, but it’s unlikely to have an examination on the eve of Takbiran night,” Silvia explained.

Based on Noel’s testimony to Silvia, Yaqut was also not seen when the KPK detainees performed Eid prayers in the facility. The KPK is known to facilitate Eid prayers for Muslim detainees.

“The info is that he was to be examined ahead, but for Eid prayers, people inside say he wasn’t there,” said Silvia.

Former Investigator Deems Yaqut’s House Arrest Status Irregular

Former KPK investigator Yudi Purnomo Harahap expressed astonishment at the KPK’s decision to place former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas under house arrest. Yudi considered the decision highly irregular.

“This raises questions—perhaps the KPK lacks confidence in the evidence they have gathered so far, both domestically and internationally, to the point of changing the detention status,” Yudi told reporters on Sunday (22/3).

Yudi said the KPK must be open in explaining to the public the reasons for placing Yaqut under house arrest. He warned of the potential for suspects to destroy evidence or influence witness statements if not held in the KPK detention centre.

“This is very irregular, and the KPK must revoke (Yaqut’s house arrest status). If the reason is illness, the action should be treatment in a hospital, where once recovered, he would be returned to the detention centre,” he said.

According to Yudi, the KPK’s step in granting house arrest to Yaqut is feared to impact the legal processes of other ongoing KPK cases. It is not impossible that other detainees will demand the same treatment as Yaqut.

“This will create chaos because it will damage the high-integrity anti-corruption system that the KPK has built since its establishment. Moreover, transparency to the public only emerged when a detainee’s family informed the public about Gus Yaqut not being in detention,” Yudi stated.

MAKI Views KPK as Discriminatory

The Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI) has strongly criticised the KPK’s decision to shift Yaqut Cholil Qoumas’s detention to house arrest. The KPK is deemed not open regarding the change in Yaqut’s detention status.

“The problem now with the shift to house arrest for Gus Yaqut is very disappointing to us all. First, there was no announcement,” said MAKI Coordinator Boyamin Saiman to reporters on Sunday (22/3).

Information about Yaqut’s absence from the KPK detention centre was first 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).

Silvia currently has information from her husband that Yaqut has not been seen in the detention centre since Thursday (19/3). The KPK then issued a statement explaining that Yaqut has been placed under house arrest.

“If it weren’t leaked by Noel’s wife, it wouldn’t have been known. Meanwhile, the KPK, under the KPK Law, is supposed to be transparent,” Boyamin explained.

Boyamin urged the KPK to be open in explaining the reasons for changing Yaqut’s detention status. He noted an impression that the KPK was covering up the status change, but it failed because it was leaked by a fellow detainee’s family.

“So this is purely about the treatment in detention being announced to the public, in the form of being displayed in front with an orange vest and handcuffs, but when shifted, it should be announced. What’s more painful is that when not announced, it was discovered by others, and they hurriedly confirmed it,” Boyamin explained.

“So the impression of cover-up makes the public disappointed,” he added.

Boyamin also highlighted the timing of the change in Yaqut’s detention status to house arrest just before Eid. He said this could fuel public suspicions regarding the granting of house arrest to Yaqut so that the former Minister of Religious Affairs could celebrate Eid outside the detention centre.

“The KPK has never suspended or shifted detention unless for illness. This suddenly, without illness, it’s suspended, especially before Eid. So this becomes discrimination; others are detained while Gus Yaqut is shifted to house arrest as if for Eid,” Boyamin stated.

He added that the KPK’s treatment differs from when handling the request from the family of former Papua Governor Lukas Enembe. Boyamin mentioned that at that time, Enembe’s family asked the KPK not to detain Enembe in the facility due to illness, but it was rejected by the KPK.

“What’s amusing is the KPK’s reason because there was a family request, and Lukas Enembe, even with a family request, was not granted, even until he died in detention. Even for illness, it wasn’t granted; here YCQ is perfectly healthy and yet suspended,” Boyamin said.

ICW Urges Dewas to Examine KPK Leadership

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has urged the KPK to be transparent regarding the change in status of former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (YCQ) to house arrest. ICW views this status as creating an impression of special treatment given by the KPK to Yaqut.

“The KPK must provide a transparent explanation regarding the reasons why YCQ was moved from the KPK detention centre to house arrest. This constitutes a form of special treatment