KPK Confirms Ex-Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Did Not Spend Eid in Detention

Jakarta, VIVA – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has confirmed that former Minister of Religious Affairs (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, as a suspect in the Hajj quota corruption case, did not spend Eid in the KPK state detention centre (rutan).

This was stated by KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo in response to comments from the wife of the suspect and former Deputy Minister of Manpower (Wamenaker) Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan, Silvia Rinita Harefa, regarding Yaqut not being in the detention centre for Eid.

“Correct,” Budi said in his statement on Saturday, 21 March 2026.

Budi explained that Yaqut, as a suspect in the alleged Hajj quota corruption case, has not been at the KPK Detention Centre since the night of 19 March 2026.

Previously, on 21 March 2026, Silvia, after visiting Ebenezer—who is a suspect in the alleged extortion corruption case—spoke to journalists waiting for her, saying there was information circulating among the detainees about not seeing Yaqut in the detention centre.

“I didn’t see Gus Yaqut earlier. The info is that he left on Thursday night (19/3),” Silvia said.

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 say he wasn’t there. He wasn’t present,” she said.

When further questioned whether only Ebenezer knew about this information, she stated that all the detainees knew.

“Everyone knows about it. They’re just wondering. They said there was an examination, but it’s unlikely there would be an examination on the eve of Takbiran night. Even up to today (Saturday, 21/3), there hasn’t been any,” she said.

Therefore, she suggested that the journalists verify the information she had received.

“You all should check for more info. That’s the info I have,” she said.

It is known that Yaqut 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 Gedung Merah Putih Branch State Detention House after his pre-trial motion was rejected on 11 March 2026. The case is said by the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPK) of Indonesia to have caused state losses of up to Rp622 billion. (Ant)