Former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Detained by Anti-Corruption Commission for 20 Days in Hajj Quota Investigation
Former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has been detained by the Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) as a suspect in an alleged corruption case relating to additional hajj quotas on Thursday, 12 March.
Asep Guntur Rahayu, Deputy for Prosecution and Execution at the KPK, stated that Yaqut was being held for 20 days whilst investigations proceeded into the alleged criminal offence of corruption regarding additional hajj quotas for the organisation of the 2023-2024 pilgrimage season.
The detention followed Yaqut’s completion of questioning as a suspect from earlier in the day.
“Today the KPK has detained the suspect Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (YCQ) for the initial 20-day period. This runs from 12 to 31 March 2026,” Asep stated during a press conference at KPK headquarters on Thursday evening.
“The detention is being held at the state detention facility in the Red and White Building branch of the KPK,” he added.
As Yaqut was escorted by officers to the detention facility, witnesses at the Red and White Building KPK observed the suspect wearing an orange detention vest with handcuffs. He was accompanied by KPK officers and police personnel.
“I have never received a single rupiah from the case alleged against me, and I implemented all these policies solely for the safety of the pilgrims,” Yaqut said just before being taken to the detention vehicle at KPK headquarters in Jakarta on Thursday evening.
In the courtyard of the building, members of Barisan Ansor Serbaguna (Banser), the paramilitary wing affiliated with the Ansor Youth Movement, also supervised the questioning process.
They maintained that Yaqut was being criminalised for policies he had implemented.
“The KPK is unjust, the KPK is unjust,” they repeatedly chanted.
Earlier, Yaqut had responded to a KPK summons for further questioning as a suspect on Thursday afternoon. This was Yaqut’s first questioning following the rejection of his pre-trial motion by a judge.
According to witnesses, Yaqut arrived at the Red and White Building KPK at approximately 13:00 Jakarta time, wearing a cream jacket and black peci.
Yaqut and his special staff member Ishfah Abidal Aziz, also known as Gus Alex, have been designated as suspects by the KPK in the alleged corruption case concerning additional hajj quotas.
During the ongoing investigation, the KPK has conducted searches at several locations including Yaqut’s residence in Condet, East Jakarta, an office of a hajj and umrah travel agency in Jakarta, the residence of a Civil Service official at the Religious Affairs Ministry in Depok, and the office of the Directorate General for Hajj and Umrah Arrangements (PHU) at the Religious Affairs Ministry.
Numerous items of evidence alleged to be related to the case have been seized. These include documents, electronic evidence, vehicles, and property.
According to calculations by the State Audit Board (BPK), the state is said to have suffered losses of Rp622.090.207.166,41 (Rp622 billion) from the alleged corruption case involving additional hajj quotas for the organisation of the 2023 and 2024 seasons.