Yaqut's Legal Counsel Questions Validity of Rp622 Billion State Losses in Hajj Quota Corruption Case
LEGAL counsel for the former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, also known as Gus Yaqut, Mellisa Anggraini, questions the validity of the calculation of state losses amounting to Rp622 billion presented by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) at a pretrial hearing in the case of alleged corruption in the Hajj quota at the South Jakarta District Court.
In a statement to reporters after the Hajj quota corruption hearing on Wednesday, 4 March 2026, Mellisa asserted that their side had not yet received an official audit result indicating state losses in the case.
“Yes, of course we are still questioning the validity of that calculation of state losses. Because from the response this appears not to be an audit result, but rather an investigative examination result,” Mellisa said.
She said the document relied on by KPK in the proceedings is not the final Audit Report (LHP) from the Audit Board of Indonesia (BPK). She described the document submitted as merely an investigative examination result, thus not able to be categorised as an official audit that states definite and final state losses.
‘We will enter the realm of evidentiary matters later; we will question it. But what is certain is that from the declaration of suspects against Gus Yaqut, that audit result has never existed. The audit result never appeared,’ she said.
Mellisa even stated that her client was named a suspect without a legitimate audit of state losses. She also highlighted changes in the losses figures, which previously were said to amount to between Rp1 trillion and Rp1.6 trillion, before finally being announced as Rp622 billion in today’s proceedings.
‘In the early stage they even mentioned Rp1 trillion, Rp1.6 trillion, and finally Rp600 billion. And we are still questioning that,’ she said.
She emphasised that they have not received or acknowledged the calculation of state losses. Mellisa said the legal advisory team would continue to investigate whether the Rp622 billion figure is a provisional report, a periodic report, or truly the final audit.
‘Indeed, before we receive it we must question whether it is only a provisional report, or merely a periodic report, or still an LHP. Because in this letter we see it is not LHP,’ she explained.
Nevertheless, Mellisa stressed that in the context of the pretrial hearing, their focus remains on the formal aspects of the suspect’s designation. She stated that to date there has been no state loss that can be proven lawfully in the declaration of the suspect status against Yaqut.
The pretrial hearing in this case will continue with the next agenda, including plans for the defence team to call experts to challenge the arguments presented by KPK, particularly concerning the claim of state losses in the alleged Hajj quota corruption case.