KPK Denies Secret Decision for Gus Yaqut's House Arrest

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has emphasised that there was no intervention in the transfer of detention for the suspect in the alleged hajj quota corruption case, former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas. Gus Yaqut was suddenly able to celebrate Eid at home after KPK leadership approved his request to leave the state detention centre. “To my knowledge, there was no (intervention from state officials),” said KPK’s Deputy for Enforcement and Execution, Irjen Asep Guntur Rahayu, at the KPK’s Red and White Building in South Jakarta on Thursday (27/3/2026). Additionally, Asep stated that there was no attempt to conceal the transfer of Yaqut’s detention from the state detention centre to house arrest. This also applied when Gus Yaqut was decided to be returned to the detention centre. “There was no concealment because we have notified the parties who, according to the law, must receive notification,” he said. Meanwhile, according to Asep, the decision to transfer Yaqut’s detention was made collectively by KPK leadership in one of the meetings. He also attended that meeting. “I was one of those who attended the meeting there,” Asep explained. On 9 August 2025, KPK began investigating the alleged corruption case related to Indonesia’s hajj quota for 2023-2024. On 11 August 2025, KPK announced an initial calculation of state losses in the case exceeding Rp 1 trillion and prevented three individuals from travelling abroad for the next six months. Those prevented were former Religious Affairs Minister for the 2020-2025 period Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex as Yaqut’s special staff, and Fuad Hasan Masyhur as the owner of the Maktour hajj organiser bureau. On 9 January 2026, KPK announced that two of the three prevented individuals had become suspects, namely Gus Yaqut and Gus Alex. However, Gus Yaqut filed a pre-trial petition against the suspect determination 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, KPK announced an extension of the travel ban only for Yaqut and Gus Alex, while Fuad’s was not extended. On 27 February 2026, KPK announced that it had received an audit from the Financial Audit Board (BPK) of the Republic of Indonesia regarding state financial losses due to the hajj quota case. Then on 4 March 2026, KPK announced that the state financial losses due to the case amounted to Rp 622 billion.