Former KPK Investigator Suspects Irregularity in KPK's Decision to Grant Yaqut House Arrest

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – Former KPK investigator Yudi Purnomo finds it odd that the KPK released former Minister of Religious Affairs (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas from the KPK detention centre (rutan). Yaqut has been placed under house arrest despite his status as a suspect in the corruption case regarding Hajj quotas at the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag).

“This raises a question: could it be that 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 Republika on Sunday (22/3/2026).

Yudi considers this change in detention status highly irregular. If the reason is illness, then the action taken should be to confine Yaqut in a hospital.

“Where once healthy, he would be returned to the detention centre,” Yudi said.

Yudi also remains puzzled by the KPK’s reasons for placing Yaqut under house arrest. The KPK’s claim that it is in accordance with legal procedures and that house arrest is temporary is, according to Yudi, merely a justification.

“If they weren’t ready to detain him initially, it would have been better for the KPK not to detain him at all,” said Yudi.

Yudi also regrets the KPK’s courage in detaining Yaqut in the detention centre did not last long. Yet the KPK had won the pretrial hearing to enable Yaqut’s detention.

“The KPK is playing with fire regarding the transfer of Yaqut’s detention from the detention centre to house arrest,” Yudi said.