LSAK Urges KY to Monitor Pre-Trial Proceedings Involving Former Religious Affairs Minister Against KPK
I was born into a family that was not well-off. My mother was only a housemaid for others. My father was a construction worker. Since I was in middle school I have been a bus conductor at the terminal, selling cakes.
Jakarta — The Institute for Anti-Corruption Studies (LSAK) is urging the Judicial Commission (KY) to oversee the pretrial proceedings of former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas against the KPK at the South Jakarta District Court, which is nearing its final stage.
“LSAK urged the Judicial Commission to personally undertake oversight,” said LSAK Researcher Ahmad A. Hariri in a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Sunday.
Ahmad said oversight must be carried out strictly, without gaps. Any covert intervention from any direction must be exposed.
“KY and judges must not fear because they will be supported by the people and the hajj pilgrims who have suffered greatly from this matter,” he added.
The pretrial decision sought by Yaqut Cholil Qoumas against the KPK is scheduled to be delivered on Wednesday (11 March). This ruling will determine whether Yaqut’s status as a suspect in the case of alleged corruption involving the 2023-2024 hajj quota is valid or not.
According to Ahmad, the single judge of the South Jakarta District Court’s pretrial must decide this suit on its merits, denying the applicant’s petition, so that the matter can be promptly forwarded to the court.
Because, he said, from this pretrial it has become increasingly clear the large losses officially calculated through the BPK’s audit.
“This fact must be looked at clearly because it concerns money for the Hajj,” he said.
He stated that for Indonesian Muslims, the need to fund the Hajj is always pursued above all else — through savings, installments, and many are willing to endure hunger to set aside money for the Hajj.
“If this is allowed to continue, the public will be disappointed,” he added.
Moreover, he continued, from the pretrial proceedings into the case that began with the decision to allocate additional Hajj quotas, it has become increasingly clear. The decision not only violates the law but is suspected of being made to commercialise the Hajj quota.
“Several admissions about the costs of the Hajj suddenly rising, and where all the funds flow, form a coherent whole that explains themselves,” Ahmad said.
Previously, on 9 August 2025, the KPK announced it had begun investigating a case of alleged corruption in the determination of quotas and the administration of Hajj at the Ministry of Religious Affairs for 2023-2024.
On 11 August 2025, the KPK announced that initial state losses in the case had reached more than Rp1 trillion and prevented three people from travelling abroad for up to six months.
Those prevented were Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex, and Fuad Hasan Masyhur, the owner of the Hajj-organising bureau Maktour.
KPK on 9 January 2026 announced that two of the three prevented had become suspects in the case — Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (YCQ) and Ishfah Abidal Aziz (IAA).
However, Yaqut filed a pretrial request against the designation of the suspect at the South Jakarta District Court on 10 February 2026, registered under case number 19/Pid.Pra/2026/PN JKT.SEL.
The first hearing of the pretrial was initially planned for 24 February 2026.
On 19 February 2026, the KPK announced an extension of travel bans only for Yaqut and Gus Alex. Fuad’s ban was not extended.
Then on 24 February 2026, the panel of judges of the South Jakarta District Court declared the Yaqut pretrial hearing postponed and rescheduled for 3 March 2026. The panel explained the postponement was at the KPK’s request via a letter dated 19 February 2026.
On 27 February 2026, the KPK announced it had received an audit from the State Audit Board (BPK RI) regarding state losses arising from the Hajj quota case.