SAI says KPK should not easily permit transfer of Yaqut's detention
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Semangat Advokasi Indonesia (SAI), an advocacy organisation for Hajj and Umrah literacy and litigation, has stated that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) should not easily permit the transfer of detention for Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, a suspect in the alleged corruption case regarding Hajj quotas and former Minister of Religious Affairs.
“As a specialised institution, it should act specially in law enforcement and corruption prevention,” said SAI Chairman Ali Yusuf in a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Monday.
Furthermore, Ali said that KPK should act fairly by applying the same policy to other detainees, namely transferring detention from state detention centres (rutan) to private homes.
“If there is indeed a policy to transfer detainees, then offer it to other detainees. KPK should not show favouritism in treating detainees,” he said.
Therefore, with the detention transfer policy only for Yaqut, he suspects orders from the leadership or the supervisory board of the anti-corruption agency.
“It needs to be checked who the leadership is that signed the permit for the corruption suspect’s detention to be at home. Did the KPK Supervisory Board also permit it? Because this is the first time a corruption suspect has been detained and then returned to his home,” he stated.
Previously, on 21 March 2026, the wife of the defendant in the alleged extortion corruption case and former Deputy Minister of Manpower Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan, Silvia Rinita Harefa, spoke to journalists after visiting her husband.
Silvia told the journalists waiting for her that there was information circulating among the detainees about Yaqut not being seen in the state detention centre or rutan.
“I didn’t see Gus Yaqut earlier. The info is that he left on Thursday night (19/3),” said Silvia on Saturday (21/3) afternoon.
She continued that she received information that Yaqut was also not seen during the Eid al-Fitr prayer on 21 March 2026.
“People inside say he’s not there. He’s not there,” she said.
When further confirmed whether only Ebenezer knew this information, she stated that all detainees knew.
“Everyone knows about it. They’re just wondering. They say there’s an examination, but it’s impossible to have an examination on the eve of Takbiran night. Even until today (Saturday, 21/3), there’s none,” she said.
Therefore, she once suggested that journalists verify the information she received.
“You guys try to get more info. That’s the info,” she said.
On Saturday night (21/3), KPK confirmed to Silvia that Yaqut Cholil has been under house detention since the night of 19 March 2026.
Yaqut Cholil Qoumas became a house detainee after his family requested it from KPK on 17 March 2026. KPK also ensured that Yaqut remains under supervision.
It is known that Yaqut Cholil was named as one of the suspects in the alleged corruption case related to Indonesia’s Hajj quota for 2023-2024 by KPK on 9 January 2026.
On 12 March 2026, KPK detained Yaqut at the KPK Red White Building Branch State Detention Centre after his pre-trial was rejected on 11 March 2026. The case is said by the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPK) of Indonesia to have caused state losses of up to Rp622 billion.