KPK assures that Yaqut's house arrest does not hinder Hajj quota corruption investigation
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has assured that the decision to place former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas under temporary house arrest will not hinder the investigation into the alleged corruption of the Hajj quota.
“We assure you that it will not hinder the investigation process,” said KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo to journalists in Jakarta on Sunday.
Budi stated that the KPK is currently working to complete the investigation file for the Hajj quota case as soon as possible.
“We will promptly complete the investigators’ file so that it can be handed over to the prosecution stage,” he said.
Previously, on 21 March 2026, the wife of the defendant in the alleged extortion corruption case and former Deputy Minister of Manpower Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan, Silvia Rinita Harefa, spoke to journalists after visiting her husband.
Silvia told the journalists waiting for her that there was information circulating among the detainees about Yaqut Cholil not being seen in the state detention centre or rutan.
“I didn’t see Gus Yaqut earlier. The info is that he left on Thursday night (19/3),” said Silvia on Saturday afternoon (21/3).
She continued that she had received information that Yaqut was also not seen during the Eid al-Fitr prayers on 21 March 2026.
“People inside said he wasn’t there. He wasn’t there,” she said.
When further questioned whether only Ebenezer knew this information, she stated that all detainees knew.
“Everyone knows about it. They’re just wondering. They said there was an examination, but it’s unlikely to have an examination on the eve of Takbiran night. Even until today (Saturday, 21/3), there hasn’t been any,” she said.
Therefore, she suggested that journalists verify the information she received.
“You all should check the info again. That’s all the info,” she said.
On Saturday night (21/3), the KPK confirmed to Silvia that Yaqut Cholil had been under house arrest since the night of 19 March 2026.
Yaqut Cholil Qoumas was placed under house arrest after his family requested it from the KPK on 17 March 2026. The KPK assured that it would continue to monitor Yaqut.
It is known that Yaqut Cholil was named as one of the suspects in the alleged corruption case related to Indonesia’s Hajj quota for 2023-2024 by the KPK on 9 January 2026.
On 12 March 2026, the KPK detained Yaqut at the KPK’s Red and White Building Branch State Detention House after his pre-trial was rejected on 11 March 2026. The case was stated by the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPK) of the Republic of Indonesia to have caused state losses of up to Rp622 billion.