Former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Placed Under House Arrest, ICW Urges Oversight Board to Investigate KPK Leadership
Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has urged the Corruption Eradication Commission’s Oversight Board (Dewas KPK) to examine the anti-corruption agency’s leadership after it changed the detention status of former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas from a detention centre to house arrest.
ICW’s Head of Law and Investigation Division, Wana Alamsyah, called on the KPK to immediately provide a transparent explanation to the public regarding the reasoning behind transferring the suspect in the alleged 2024 Hajj quota corruption case.
“The KPK must provide a transparent explanation regarding the reasons why YCQ (Yaqut Cholil Qoumas) was moved to house arrest. This constitutes a privilege granted by the KPK to a corruption suspect,” Wana stated in a written release on Sunday (22/3/2026).
Furthermore, Wana requested that the KPK Oversight Board immediately intervene to examine the KPK leadership. He assessed that strategic decisions such as changing the detention location could not occur without the knowledge and approval of the leadership.
“The KPK Oversight Board must conduct an examination of the KPK leadership regarding this case. This is because it is reasonable to suspect that the KPK leadership knew about and approved the transfer of YCQ from the detention centre to house arrest,” he added.
According to ICW records, the KPK has historically been very strict in granting detention transfers. Such status is usually only given in urgent conditions, such as very serious health reasons.
Wana warned that this policy could set a bad precedent for Indonesia’s anti-corruption agenda. In his view, house arrest status provides opportunities for suspects to take actions that hinder the legal process.
“Suspects have the potential to destroy and eliminate evidence, or influence witnesses when under house arrest,” Wana said.
Previously, information about Yaqut’s disappearance from the KPK detention centre was revealed by the wife of former Deputy Manpower Minister Immanuel Ebenezer (Noel), Silvia Rinita Harefa, after visiting Noel at the KPK detention centre during Eid on Saturday (21/3/2026). Silvia said that her husband and other KPK detainees had not seen Yaqut in the detention since Thursday (19/3).
“This time, we didn’t see Gus Yaqut. The info is that he left on Thursday night,” Silvia said.
According to Silvia, her husband and other KPK detainees already knew that Yaqut had suddenly disappeared from the KPK detention centre. They were wondering about Yaqut’s current whereabouts.
“Everyone knows about it. They’re just wondering, saying there was an examination, but it’s unlikely there would be an examination late on the eve of Takbiran,” Silvia explained.
KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo explained that Yaqut’s detention status has now changed to house arrest. He clarified that the transfer of Yaqut’s detention status was not due to health conditions.
“It’s not because of illness,” Budi told reporters on Sunday (22/3/2026).
Budi said that house arrest for Yaqut was implemented after the KPK received a request from the family. The KPK then granted the request, without providing further details on the family’s reasons for submitting the application.
“So it was indeed because of a request from the family, and then we processed it,” Budi explained.
This detention was carried out for the needs of the investigation into the alleged bribery case in the organisation and distribution of Hajj quotas at the Ministry of Religious Affairs.