Pre-trial Hearing for Yaqut Proceeds After KPK Absence
JAKARTA – The South Jakarta District Court (PN Jaksel) held a pre-trial hearing on the lawsuit filed by former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas against the Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) on Tuesday, 3 March 2026.
According to the Case Information System (SIPP) of PN Jakarta Selatan, the hearing with case number 19/Pid.Pra/2026/PN JKT.SEL commenced at 11:15 WIB.
The hearing focused on summoning the respondent, namely the KPK, which was absent during the previous session, necessitating the postponement of proceedings.
“Today, Tuesday (3/3), the KPK through its Legal Bureau team will attend the pre-trial hearing in the alleged corruption case related to hajj quotas,” said Budi in a statement on Tuesday.
Budi stated that in the alleged hajj quota corruption case involving Yaqut, the KPK had received the calculation results of state financial losses from the Financial Audit Board (BPK).
“This means the hajj quota case not only falls within the scope of state finances, but the illegal acts committed by the parties in this case have resulted in state financial losses,” he said.
Yaqut submitted several petitions, including a request that the judge declare KPK Leadership Decision No. 88 of 2026 dated 8 January 2026 regarding his designation as a suspect null and void and lacking binding legal force.
Furthermore, he requested that KPK Letter No. B/II/DIK.00/23/01.2026 regarding notification of suspect designation dated 9 January 2026 be declared not as a suspect designation letter against him, and null and void and lacking binding legal force.
These three documents were used by the respondent as the basis for coercive measures in the form of suspect designation against him, therefore he requested them to be declared null and void and lacking binding legal force.
Yaqut also requested that all decisions, determinations, and any further coercive measures issued by the KPK related to his designation as a suspect be declared null and void.
Additionally, he requested that the KPK be ordered to pay the litigation costs incurred in the pre-trial process.
The discovery of procedural defects formed the basis for his legal team to file the pre-trial lawsuit.
“We have more than three points, including their use of articles from the Corruption Law, Articles 2 and 3, which have been repealed and no longer apply, and have been replaced with articles in the new Penal Code, but they did not refer to them at all,” said Mellisa at PN Jaksel on Tuesday, 24 February 2026.
Mellisa did not elaborate on the detailed formal defects of the three documents issued by the KPK that formed the basis for Yaqut’s designation as a suspect.
“Perhaps more detail will emerge during the court proceedings. In essence, we are aware of three documents from the notification letter. We never received a suspect designation letter containing our client’s rights, containing the case description, containing everything that connected his actions to his designation as a suspect – we never received that,” said Mellisa.