Former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut's Request for House Arrest Rejected
The panel of judges at the Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court has rejected a request by former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas to have his detention status changed from prison detention to house arrest.
Presiding Judge Ni Kadek Susantiani said during the hearing at the Corruption Court on Tuesday that the medical needs cited as the basis for Yaqut’s request could still be met at the state detention centre by the Corruption Eradication Commission.
“Because his needs are only two things, we cannot yet grant the request,” said Ni Kadek.
She explained that Yaqut had submitted the request for a change in detention status after undergoing surgery, citing the need for regular medication and wound care.
According to the judge, both of these needs can still be met at the detention centre, so a change in detention status is not necessary.
Should a medical emergency arise requiring Yaqut to be taken to hospital immediately, he was asked to consult with the doctor on duty at the detention centre.
The judge then explained that the doctor would determine whether Yaqut requires inpatient or outpatient care according to his medical condition.
Regarding a referral to take Yaqut to the surgical outpatient clinic because of the risk of infection, the judge said his legal counsel may submit a request for permission to seek outpatient treatment.
“We must first examine the submission because we do not know how the doctor has diagnosed the defendant’s condition,” she said.
Yaqut is one of the defendants in a case of alleged corruption in the 2023-2024 Indonesian hajj quota. In this case, he is charged with causing state financial losses amounting to Rp622.09 billion.
Yaqut is accused of diverting and arranging the allocation of an additional 50 percent of the 2024 special hajj quota without any technical study as a basis.
In addition, Yaqut is accused of filling the additional special hajj quotas for 2023 and 2024 with special hajj pilgrims without waiting periods and pilgrims with certain waiting periods that did not comply with the mechanism.
These acts were allegedly committed together with his former special staff member Ishfah Abidal Aziz, also known as Gus Alex, Maktour Operations Director Ismail Adham, and former Chairman of the Indonesian Hajj and Umrah Travel Organisers Association Asrul Aziz Taba.
Prosecutors stated that the filling of the additional special hajj quota was carried out to accommodate requests from the Special Hajj Organisers association, accompanied by the receipt of acceleration fees from pilgrims and special hajj officers.