Yaqut Pre-trial: Expert says audit of state losses must exist before a suspect is named

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - A financial and state administration law expert from the Faculty of Law at the University of Indonesia, Dian Puji Nugraha Simatupang, has said that an audit of state losses must exist before a suspect is named.

He stated this as a witness for the applicant, former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, against the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) at the South Jakarta District Court on Thursday, 5 March 2026.

According to him, the results of the examination report must first be submitted to law enforcement authorities and serve as the basis for the investigative process.

‘Before (the designation as a suspect). The examination report should be given to law enforcement as the basis for them to carry out the investigative process because there have indeed been real and definite state losses,’ said Dian, in front of the judge.

‘The examination report is the result that has already been finalised in identifying an issue, which then strengthens the conclusion,’ he added.

Dian also explained that without a final audit, it cannot be confirmed that there is an indication of state losses in a case.

‘If there is no audit, there is no proof of an indication of criminal wrongdoing or maladministration as regulated in Article 13 of Law Number 15 of 2004,’ he said.

He also emphasised that in the audit process there must be confirmation to the parties suspected to be responsible in accordance with the standards of state financial examinations.

As is known, in the pre-trial hearing on 4 March 2026, the KPK revealed the results of an audit by BPK showing state losses of Rp 622 billion in the alleged corruption in the 2023-2024 Haj quota case involving former Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas.

The figure represents an update from the KPK’s initial estimate, which previously indicated the potential state losses could exceed Rp 1 trillion.