Not Due to Illness: The Reason KPK Shifts Yaqut's Detention to House Arrest
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has revealed the reason for changing the detention status of the suspect in the alleged Hajj quota corruption case, as well as former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, from KPK detention centre (Rutan) to house arrest. According to the KPK, the shift to house arrest status is part of the investigation strategy.
“Every investigation process naturally has different conditions and case handling strategies, including the detention of a suspect,” said KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo on Sunday, 22 March 2026.
Budi stated that the steps taken by the KPK towards Yaqut differ from other suspects in the case, such as former Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, who also once held house arrest status.
Lukas Enembe, before his death and while still under KPK detention, was once granted house arrest due to illness. Meanwhile, Yaqut Cholil became a house detainee not because of illness. “Not because of a health condition. It was indeed due to a request from the family, which we then processed,” he said.
Former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas was reported not to be in the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) detention house during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in 2026.
That news was revealed by the wife of the suspect and former Deputy Minister of Manpower Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan, namely Silvia Rinita Harefa, regarding former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas not celebrating Eid in the state detention centre.
Silvia was known to have visited her husband on 21 March 2026, who is a suspect in the alleged extortion corruption case, and conveyed to the journalists waiting for her that there was circulating information among the detainees about former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas not being in the state detention house for Eid.
“I didn’t see Gus Yaqut earlier. The info is that he left on Thursday night (19/3),” said Silvia.
She received information that Yaqut was also not seen during the Eid al-Fitr prayer on 21 March 2026. “According to people inside, he’s not there. He’s not around,” she said.
When further confirmed whether only Ebenezer knew about that information, she stated that all detainees knew.
“Everyone knows about it. They were just wondering. They said there was an examination, but it’s impossible to have an examination on the eve of Takbiran night. Even until today (Saturday, 21/3), there hasn’t been any,” she revealed.