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View all search resultsFormer minister Yaqut files pretrial in haj quota graft case
The Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) move to name former religious affairs minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas was not supported with adequate evidence, the complainant has argued in his pretrial motion.
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Former religious affairs minister and graft suspect Yaqut Cholil Qoumas leaves the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) headquarters in Jakarta on Jan. 30, 2026, following an interrogation session. The antigraft body named Yaqut a suspect for allegedly enriching himself as well as other officials and travel agencies pertaining to the distribution of the haj quota in 2024. Fakhri Hermansyah (Antara/Fakhri Hermansyah)
F
ormer religious affairs minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has challenged the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) decision to name him a suspect in a corruption case related to the alleged misallocation of the 2024 haj quota.
Yaqut filed a pretrial motion against the antigraft body with the South Jakarta District Court on Tuesday, according to the court’s information system. The court has not assigned a sole judge to handle the case, but the first hearing is scheduled for Feb. 24.
Yaqut’s lawyer Mellisa Anggraini said her client aimed to dispute the validity of his suspect status.
“We believe the suspect naming was made prematurely and was not preceded by adequate evidence gathering process,” Mellisa said on Thursday.
She claimed the KPK failed to meet the minimum requirement of two valid pieces of evidence when naming Yaqut a suspect in the case. She also asserted investigators also applied outdated legal provisions, although not elaborating which regulations she is referring to.
Read also: Former minister Yaqut named suspect in haj quota graft scandal
While noting that the KPK is still awaiting formal notification from the court regarding the pretrial, antigraft body spokesperson Budi Prasetyo maintained that the investigation in the case which led to Yaqut’s suspect naming had been conducted in accordance with the prevailing regulations.
