Yaqut Becomes First KPK House Detainee Despite Not Being Ill

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has granted the family’s request to place the suspect in the Hajj quota allocation case, former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, under house arrest.

The younger brother of PBNU General Chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf was previously reported to have left KPK custody to become a house detainee since Thursday (19/3). In other words, the former PP GP Ansor General Chairman—NU’s youth wing—could celebrate Eid at home on Saturday (21/3).

According to the KPK’s statement, Yaqut’s detention was transferred to house arrest based on the family’s request, and not due to health factors.

Several parties have criticised the KPK’s move regarding the transfer of former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas’s detention status to house arrest. On 12 March 2026, KPK detained Yaqut at the KPK’s Red and White Building Branch State Detention House after his pre-trial was rejected on 11 March 2026.

Anti-corruption activist Emerson Yuntho stated that since KPK’s establishment in 2003, this is the first time a suspect has had their detention status transferred to house arrest. Moreover, the transfer was based on a family request, without a health reason.

“Throughout the history of @KPK_RI’s establishment, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas is recorded as the first corruption suspect whose detention status was transferred to House Detention. This transition will certainly create jealousy—discrimination for other KPK suspects/defendants,” stated Emerson via his X account @emerson_yuntho on Sunday (22/3).

CNNIndonesia.com has been permitted to quote his statement on social media.

“It is best for @KPK_RI to immediately return Yaqut Cholil Qoumas to KPK detention. If not done, negative sentiment will emerge for this institution. KPK will be seen as discriminatory, selective, or weak,” added the man who once worked with Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW).

Former senior KPK investigator Novel Baswedan also noted that this is the first time the anti-corruption agency has transferred a status to house arrest. And Yaqut is the pioneer in experiencing it.

Therefore, Novel, who was removed from KPK during the Firli Bahuri era through the controversial National Insight Test (TWK), urged the KPK Oversight Board (Dewas) to intervene.

“Extraordinary.. For the first time, KPK transfers a detainee to house detention because of Eid. Is this a KPK achievement? The Dewas should examine the KPK officials who carried out the detention transfer, especially since they even promoted it. This is outrageous and should not be emulated,” he wrote on his X account on Monday (23/3).

A similar statement was made by the Coordinator of the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI) Boyamin Saiman, while mocking that KPK has ‘broken a record’ since its establishment in 2003.

According to him, it is the first time KPK has approved the transfer of detention status from detention centre to house arrest due to a family request that is not for health reasons.

“KPK has the authority to detain, also the right to transfer, and the right to suspend. And KPK has previously suspended people who were detained due to illness, the reasons were always strong,” he said in a statement to CNNIndonesia.com on Sunday.

Furthermore, he added, even suspension due to illness cannot be done just based on a family request, but requires strong medical evidence. He cited examples such as former Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, North Konawe Regent Aswad Sulaiman, and a mining businessman in West Kalimantan.

“If they are not detained, or then their detention is suspended to house arrest or whatever, it is because they are truly ill. But in the context of Yaqut, which is not because of illness, I really don’t know what the reason is. So I say [KPK suspect transferred to house arrest without health reasons] is a record,” he said.

In addition, Boyamin questioned the reason KPK approved Yaqut’s detention quietly, which only came to public knowledge on Saturday from his wife’s statement. According to him, the KPK Law strictly regulates the principle of openness, so the determination of suspects, detention, to non-detention must be announced to the public.

“Disappointed because it was done secretly. It damages the system and the discrimination that will trigger similar demands from other detainees,” said Boyamin.

“KPK must carry out re-detention. And the KPK Dewas must investigate allegations of code of ethics violations,” he added.

ICW also urged KPK to be transparent regarding the change in Yaqut’s status to house arrest. ICW assesses that this status creates the impression of special treatment given by KPK to Yaqut.

ICW researcher Wana Alamsyah said that so far, KPK has had strict standards in suspending corruption suspects’ detention. However, in Yaqut’s case, no detailed explanation was provided by KPK.

“Based on ICW’s records, the detention transfers carried out by KPK are quite strict, one of which is due to health reasons,” he said to reporters on Sunday.

ICW also warned KPK of the potential impacts of making Yaqut a house detainee. ICW fears Yaqut could eliminate evidence or influence witnesses in the ongoing Hajj quota corruption investigation.

“This will become a bad precedent for corruption eradication in Indonesia. Because suspects have the potential to destroy and eliminate evidence, or influence witnesses when under house arrest,” said Wana.

Furthermore, Wana also urged the KPK Dewas to examine KPK leaders. ICW assesses that the change in Yaqut’s status to house arrest is inseparable from the approval of KPK leaders.

“The KPK Dewas must conduct an examination of KPK leaders regarding this case. Because it is reasonable to suspect that KPK leaders knew and gave approval to move YCQ from detention centre to house arrest,” he said.