Yaqut's Statement on KPK Examination After Becoming House Detainee in Hajj Corruption Case

Former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, a suspect in the alleged Hajj quota corruption case, expressed gratitude after undergoing his first examination by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) following his house detention over the weekend. “Alhamdulillah, the examination went smoothly,” Yaqut said at the KPK’s Merah Putih Building in Jakarta on Wednesday. When asked what the KPK investigators examined or delved into, Yaqut directed journalists to ask the investigators, as he was tired. “Regarding the substance, please ask the investigators. Not me. I’m tired,” he said. Previously, on 9 August 2025, the KPK began investigating the alleged corruption case related to Indonesia’s Hajj quota for 2023-2024. On 11 August 2025, the KPK announced an initial calculation of state losses in the case exceeding Rp1 trillion and prevented three individuals from travelling abroad for the next six months. Those prevented were former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex as Yaqut’s special staff, and Fuad Hasan Masyhur as the owner of the Maktour Hajj organising agency. On 9 January 2026, the KPK announced that two of the three prevented individuals became suspects in the alleged Hajj quota corruption case, namely Yaqut and Gus Alex. However, Yaqut filed a pre-trial petition against the suspect designation to the South Jakarta District Court on 10 February 2026, registered under case number 19/Pid.Pra/2026/PN JKT.SEL. On 19 February 2026, the KPK announced an extension of the travel ban only for Yaqut and Gus Alex, while Fuad’s was not extended. On 27 February 2026, the KPK announced it had received an audit from the Financial Audit Board (BPK) of the Republic of Indonesia regarding state financial losses due to the Hajj quota case. Then, on 4 March 2026, the KPK announced that the state financial losses due to the case amounted to Rp622 billion. Subsequently, on 11 March 2026, the panel of judges at the South Jakarta District Court rejected Yaqut’s pre-trial petition. On 12 March 2026, the KPK detained Yaqut at the State Detention House Branch of the KPK’s Merah Putih Building. Then, on 17 March 2026, the KPK detained Gus Alex at the Detention House Branch of the KPK’s Central Anti-Corruption Education Building. While walking to the detention vehicle, he stated that there was no order or flow of money in the Hajj quota case to Yaqut.