KPK Summons Former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas Over Hajj Quota Corruption Investigation
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has scheduled an examination of former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas in his capacity as a suspect in an alleged corruption case involving hajj quota allocation. KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo announced that the examination would take place on Thursday, 12 March 2026 at the KPK’s Red and White Building in Jakarta.
“Today, Thursday, investigators have scheduled an examination of Yaqut Cholil Qoumas as a suspect in the alleged corruption case related to hajj quota allocation for the implementation of the 2023-2024 Indonesian hajj pilgrimage,” said Budi to reporters. “The examination of Yaqut is being conducted with his status as a suspect.”
The KPK spokesperson expressed hope that Yaqut would cooperate and comply with the investigative summons. “We believe that the individual concerned will be cooperative and will honour this summons,” he stated.
The alleged hajj quota corruption case began investigation by the KPK on 9 August 2025, relating to the determination of quotas and implementation of hajj pilgrimage at the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia for the 2023-2024 period.
Two days later, on 11 August 2025, the KPK disclosed that preliminary calculations of state losses in the case exceeded 1 trillion Indonesian rupiah. At that time, the KPK also imposed travel restrictions on three individuals for six months. The three individuals restricted were Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, his staff member Ishfah Abidal Aziz (known as Gus Alex), and hajj travel agency owner Fuad Hasan Masyhur.
On 9 January 2026, the KPK designated two individuals as suspects in the case: Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and Ishfah Abidal Aziz. Yaqut subsequently filed a legal challenge (praperadilan) against his designation as a suspect at the South Jakarta District Court on 10 February 2026.
On 19 February 2026, the KPK extended travel restrictions on Yaqut and Gus Alex, whilst the restriction on Fuad Hasan Masyhur was not renewed.
A subsequent development occurred on 27 February 2026, when the KPK received an audit report from the Financial Audit Board (BPK) concerning state losses in the case. Based on this audit report, on 4 March 2026 the KPK stated that financial losses to the state resulting from the alleged hajj quota corruption case amounted to approximately 622 billion Indonesian rupiah.
A single judge at the South Jakarta District Court, Sulistyo Muhamad Dwi Putro, has rejected the legal challenge filed by Yaqut Cholil Qoumas against the KPK in the hajj quota corruption case. The judge ruled that Yaqut’s status as a suspect is legally valid. The KPK has indicated that the investigation will proceed to the evidentiary stage at the corruption court. Yaqut’s legal team argued that the judge only considered the quantity of evidence without assessing its quality in the alleged 2024 hajj quota corruption case.