KPK to Summon Gus Alex Next Week Following Former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut's Detention
Jakarta — The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has acknowledged that it did not immediately detain Isfah Abidal Aziz, a former special staff member to the Religious Affairs Minister (known as Gus Alex), at the same time as former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas on the evening of Thursday, 12 March 2026. However, the KPK has already planned to summon Alex the following week.
The KPK has confirmed that it has sent a summons to Alex. Alex himself was announced as a suspect in the hajj quota case alongside Yaqut.
“We have summoned the person in question for next week,” said Asep Guntur Rahayu, Deputy for Prosecution and Execution at the KPK, to journalists on Friday, 13 March 2026.
The KPK has not yet stated that it will immediately detain Alex when he responds to the summons. The KPK has called on the public to await the results of the questioning.
“Let us wait and see, colleagues,” said Asep.
The KPK has already indicated that Alex played a dominant role in collecting money related to the hajj quota case at the Religious Affairs Ministry (Kemenag). The KPK has signalled that Alex was a representative of Yaqut.
“Officials there (at Kemenag) at that time believed that what GA conveyed was considered to be a representation of YCQ, and that was believed to be an order from YCQ,” said Asep.
The KPK also believes that the money obtained by Alex would be directed to Yaqut. As such, Alex is positioned as an intermediary in this case.
“If, for example, I want to give money to, say, person A, and there is a representative of person B, then there is no need to give it directly to A — I can give it to B instead, because that is equivalent to giving it to A,” said Asep.
In this case, the KPK decided that Yaqut should become a suspect along with Isfah Abidal Aziz, a former Special Staff Member to the Religious Affairs Minister (known as Gus Alex). Yaqut is alleged to have violated Article 2 paragraph (1) and/or Article 3 of Law No. 31 of 1999 Jo. Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption, as amended by Law No. 20 of 2001 Concerning Amendments to Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption, as well as Article 55 paragraph (1) subsection 1 of the Indonesian Criminal Code.
The KPK has detained the suspect Yaqut for the initial 20-day period from 12 to 31 March 2026. The detention is being carried out at the Red and White Building Branch State Detention Centre (Rutan) at the KPK. Meanwhile, Alex has not yet been detained by the KPK.