KPK Examines Former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut After Return to Detention Facility
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) examined former Minister of Religious Affairs (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, who is a suspect in the alleged corruption case involving Hajj quotas.
The examination was conducted after Yaqut underwent a change in detention status.
This change involved shifting from state detention facility (rutan) to house arrest, and then back to KPK detention facility.
“This examination is a swift and progressive step by the investigators,” said KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo to reporters on Wednesday, 25 March 2026.
Furthermore, Budi stated that the examination was carried out by the KPK to complete the investigation file for the Hajj quota case.
Previously, on 9 August 2025, the KPK began investigating the alleged corruption related to Indonesia’s Hajj quota for 2023-2024.
On 11 August 2025, the KPK announced an initial calculation of state losses in the case exceeding Rp1 trillion, and prevented three individuals from travelling abroad for the next six months.
Those prevented were former Minister of Religious Affairs 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 organising bureau.
On 9 January 2026, the KPK announced that two of the three prevented individuals became suspects in the alleged Hajj quota corruption case, namely Yaqut and Gus Alex.
However, Yaqut filed a pretrial request against the suspect designation 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 only for Yaqut and Gus Alex, while Fuad’s was not extended.
On 27 February 2026, the KPK announced that it had received an audit from the Financial Audit Board (BPK) of the Republic of Indonesia regarding the state financial losses due to the Hajj quota case. Subsequently, on 4 March 2026, the KPK announced that the state financial losses from the case amounted to Rp622 billion.
Then, on 11 March 2026, the Panel of Judges at the South Jakarta District Court rejected Yaqut’s pretrial request.
On 12 March 2026, the KPK detained Yaqut at the KPK’s Red White Building Branch State Detention Facility.
Subsequently, on 17 March 2026, the KPK detained Gus Alex at the KPK’s Anti-Corruption Education Centre Branch Detention Facility. While walking to the detention vehicle, he stated that there was no order or flow of money in the Hajj quota case to Yaqut.