Gus Alex Denies Flow of Funds from Hajj Quota Corruption Case to Former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut
Jakarta – Ishfah Abidal Aziz, alias Gus Alex, former special staff member to the Religious Affairs Minister, has denied any orders or flow of funds from former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas in connection with the hajj quota corruption case.
“There was nothing. There was no order whatsoever from Gus Yaqut,” said Gus Alex at the Red-White Building of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Jakarta on Tuesday, 17 March 2026.
When pressed further about who had ordered him, he stated that he had already provided an explanation to KPK investigators. “I have already submitted everything to the investigators. I have provided much already. Go directly to the investigators or my legal counsel, my legal team,” he said.
The KPK began investigating the alleged corruption case related to Indonesia’s hajj quotas for 2023-2024 on 9 August 2025. On 11 August 2025, the KPK announced that the initial calculation of state losses in the case amounted to over Rp1 trillion and imposed travel bans on three individuals for up to six months. These three individuals were Yaqut, Gus Alex, and Fuad Hasan Masyhur, the owner of the Maktour hajj organising bureau.
On 9 January 2026, the KPK announced that two of the three individuals subject to the travel ban had become suspects in the alleged hajj quota corruption case: Yaqut and Gus Alex. However, Yaqut filed a pretrial motion challenging his suspect status at the South Jakarta District Court on 10 February 2026, registered under case number 19/Pid.Pra/2026/PN JKT.SEL.
On 19 February 2026, the KPK announced an extension of the travel ban for only Yaqut and Gus Alex, with Fuad not being included in the extension. On 27 February 2026, the KPK announced that it had received an audit from the Financial Audit Board (BPK) regarding state financial losses from the hajj quota case. On 4 March 2026, the KPK announced that the state financial loss from the case amounted to Rp622 billion.
On 11 March 2026, a panel of judges at the South Jakarta District Court rejected Yaqut’s pretrial motion. On 12 March 2026, the KPK detained Yaqut at the State Detention Centre in the KPK’s Red-White Building.