KPK Seizes 1 Million USD Prepared for DPR's Hajj Special Committee
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has seized a sum of US$1 million that was initially prepared by Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, during his tenure as Minister of Religious Affairs, for the 2024 DPR RI Special Committee on Hajj Rights Inquiry.
“We have carried out the seizure,” said Acting Director of Investigation at the KPK, Achmad Taufik Husein, at the KPK’s Red and White Building in Jakarta, on Monday evening (13/4).
Achmad explained that the money was seized from an intermediary with the initials ZA and had not yet been distributed to members of the DPR RI Hajj Special Committee.
“We can confirm that it has not reached the intended parties in the special committee, so it was still with the intermediary ZA, and that is where we secured it,” he said.
Nevertheless, he stated that KPK investigators would delve deeper into the matter, namely the alleged flow of US$1 million from Yaqut to the DPR RI Hajj Special Committee.
“What we have just found is limited to that. However, we will investigate further,” he said.
On 9 January 2026, the KPK announced former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex, as Yaqut’s special staff, as suspects in the case.
Meanwhile, Fuad Hasan Masyhur, the owner of the Hajj organiser Maktour, was not designated as a suspect, although he was previously banned from leaving the country.
On 27 February 2026, the KPK received the audit results from the Financial Audit Board (BPK) RI regarding state financial losses in the Hajj quota case.
Subsequently, on 12 March 2026, the KPK detained Yaqut Cholil at the KPK’s Red and White Building State Detention House Branch. On 17 March 2026, the KPK also detained Ishfah Abidal Aziz at the KPK’s Central Education Anti-Corruption Detention House Branch.
On the same date, Yaqut Cholil’s family submitted a request for the former Minister of Religious Affairs to be placed under house arrest.
The KPK granted the request, so Yaqut has been under house arrest since 19 March 2026. However, on 24 March 2026, the KPK re-detained Yaqut at the KPK Detention House after previously processing the change in detention status.
The KPK then designated two new suspects on 30 March 2026, namely Maktour’s Operational Director Ismail Adham and the General Chairman of the Indonesian Hajj and Umrah Tour Travel Unity (Kesthuri), Asrul Aziz Taba.