Former Special Staff of Ex-Religion Minister Yaqut Summoned by KPK Today, Will He Be Detained?
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is scheduled to gather testimony from Ishfah Abidal Aziz, also known as Gus Alex, former special staff to Religion Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, on Tuesday 17 March 2026. Gus Alex is already a suspect in the alleged corruption case concerning hajj quotas at the Religion Ministry for 2023-2024.
The KPK confirmed that questioning would take place at the Red and White Building on Tuesday 17 March 2026. Gus Alex is suspected of being an intermediary for Yaqut in the hajj quota case. “Questioning with Gus Alex is still scheduled,” said KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo to reporters on Monday 16 March 2026.
In this case, the KPK has designated Yaqut as a suspect alongside Ishfah Abidal Aziz. Yaqut is suspected of violating Article 2 paragraph (1) and/or Article 3 of Law No. 31 of 1999 concerning Corruption Eradication, read together with Article 18 of the Corruption Eradication Law and Article 55 paragraph (1) subsection 1 of the Criminal Code.
The KPK ordered Yaqut’s detention for the first 20 days from 12 to 31 March 2026. Detention is at the State Detention Centre (Rutan) of the KPK’s Red and White Building. Alex has not yet been detained by the KPK.
Yaqut’s Orders
The KPK suspects that Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, whilst serving as Religion Minister, ordered Ishfah Abidal Aziz regarding the distribution of 20,000 additional hajj quotas for 2024 beginning in November 2023. Asep Guntur Rahayu, Deputy for Prosecution and Execution at the KPK, explained that this suspicion originated from communication between the Technical Staff of the Indonesian Hajj Affairs Office in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Gus Alex concerning the activation of the e-Hajj application and Indonesia’s main hajj quota of 221,000 being entered into the system.
“After receiving this information, IAA stated that the 20,000 additional quotas would be divided equally or split at 50 percent based on direction or orders from YCQ,” said Asep at a press conference held in Jakarta on Friday.