Yaqut Indicted for Causing Rp622 Billion in State Losses in Hajj Quota Corruption Case
Former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has been indicted for allegedly causing state financial losses amounting to Rp622,090,207,166.41 in a corruption case related to additional hajj quotas for the 2023-2024 period. The indictment was read by the public prosecutor during the first hearing of the case at the Corruption Court in the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday, 11 August 2026. The prosecutor stated that the alleged corruption was carried out by Yaqut together with several other parties. The state loss figure is based on the Investigative Audit Report from the Indonesian Supreme Audit Agency (BPK RI) regarding the calculation of state losses in the management of the Indonesian hajj quota for the 2023 to 2024 period.
In this case, Yaqut was indicted alongside his former special staff member, Ishfah Abidal Azis, also known as Gus Alex, the Operational Director of PT Makassar Toraja (Maktour), Ismail Adham, and the Chairman of the Kesthuri Association, Asrul Azis Taba. The prosecutor alleged that the filling of additional quotas for special hajj pilgrims in 2023-2024 was carried out by Yaqut in a manner contrary to regulations. The quota filling was allegedly done to fulfil requests from the Special Hajj Organisers Association (PIHK). The indictment detailed that the defendants unlawfully filled the additional special hajj quotas for 2023 and 2024 with pilgrims who had no waiting period and pilgrims with a waiting period of ‘x’ years, using mechanisms that did not comply with the rules.
Beyond the quota filling issues, the prosecutor revealed allegations of receiving acceleration fees from pilgrims who obtained the additional special hajj quotas. Yaqut was also indicted for allegedly arranging a change in the distribution of the additional special hajj quota for 2024 to 50 percent. This policy change was reportedly made without the support of a technical study as a basis. The prosecutor stated that these actions resulted in Yaqut personally profiting by USD 271,500, which is equivalent to approximately Rp4.83 billion at the current exchange rate.