When Will KPK Arrest Former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut After Winning Pre-Trial Dismissal? Here's the Answer
Jakarta — The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has signalled plans to summon former Religious Affairs Minister and hajj quota corruption suspect Yaqut Cholil Qoumas on Thursday 12 March 2026. This summons comes after the South Jakarta District Court rejected Yaqut’s pre-trial motion.
“We’ll see what happens at the end of the week. Thursday is part of the end of the week, isn’t it?” said KPK Deputy for Prosecution and Execution Asep Guntur Rahayu at the Red and White Building of the KPK in Jakarta on Wednesday 11 March 2026.
Asep further signalled that the summons for Yaqut this week is more than mere talk, as the KPK had already notified the individual about this last week.
“When will he be summoned? The summons was sent last week for this week,” he said.
When asked when the KPK would arrest Yaqut, he stated that such action requires many prerequisites. “There are formal and material requirements, as well as subjective and objective criteria and other matters related to detention. So, we shall see,” he said.
Previously, on 9 August 2025, the KPK announced it had begun investigating alleged corruption involving the determination of hajj quotas and administration of the hajj pilgrimage at the Religious Affairs Ministry in 2023-2024. On 11 August 2025, the KPK announced preliminary calculations of state losses in the case exceeded Rp1 trillion and placed three individuals on a travel ban abroad for up to six months.
Those banned were Yaqut, Ishfah Abidal Aziz (also known as Gus Alex), Yaqut’s aide, and Fuad Hasan Masyhur, owner of hajj organising agency Maktour. On 9 January 2026, the KPK announced that two of the three individuals under travel ban became suspects in the alleged hajj quota corruption case: Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and Ishfah Abidal Aziz.
However, Yaqut filed a pre-trial motion against his designation as a suspect to the South Jakarta District Court on 10 February 2026, registered as case number 19/Pid.Pra/2026/PN JKT.SEL. On 19 February 2026, the KPK announced it had extended the international travel ban only to Yaqut and Gus Alex, whilst Fuad was not subject to extension.
On 27 February 2026, the KPK announced it had received an audit from the State Audit Board (BPK RI) regarding state financial losses resulting from the hajj quota case. Then on 4 March 2026, the KPK announced that state financial losses from the case amounted to Rp622 billion. On 11 March 2026, the panel of judges at the South Jakarta District Court rejected Yaqut’s pre-trial motion.