KPK Detains Gus Alex for Initial 20-Day Period Until 5 April 2026
Jakarta — The Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has detained Ishfah Abidal Aziz, commonly known as Gus Alex, who served as a special staff member to Religion Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, for an initial 20-day period, extending until 5 April 2026.
“The detention for the next 20 days is calculated from today, 17 March to 5 April 2026,” stated KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo at the KPK’s Red and White Building in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Budi further stated that Gus Alex, as a suspect in the alleged hajj quota corruption case, has been detained at the KPK’s Central Anti-Corruption Education Building.
The KPK commenced its investigation into the alleged corruption linked to Indonesia’s hajj quota allocation for 2023-2024 on 9 August 2025. On 11 August 2025, the KPK announced preliminary calculations indicating state losses exceeded Rp1 trillion and imposed travel restrictions on three individuals for a six-month period. These individuals included Yaqut, Gus Alex as Yaqut’s staff member, and Fuad Hasan Masyhur, owner of the Maktour hajj organising agency.
On 9 January 2026, the KPK designated two of the three restricted individuals as suspects in the alleged hajj quota corruption case: Yaqut and Gus Alex. Yaqut subsequently filed a pre-trial motion challenging his designation as a suspect before 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 foreign travel ban for Yaqut and Gus Alex, whilst Fuad’s restriction was not renewed. On 27 February 2026, the KPK announced receipt of an audit from the State Audit Board (BPK) RI regarding state financial losses from the hajj quota case. Subsequently, on 4 March 2026, the KPK announced that state financial losses from the case amounted to Rp622 billion.
On 11 March 2026, the South Jakarta District Court bench rejected Yaqut’s pre-trial motion. On 12 March 2026, the KPK detained Yaqut at the State Detention Centre Branch of the KPK’s Red and White Building.