JAKARTA, Legal Literacy - Former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (Gus Yaqut) has filed a pre-trial motion against the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) at the South Jakarta District Court. The petition questions the validity of naming him as a suspect in the alleged corruption case of the hajj quota.

According to case information at the South Jakarta District Court, the lawsuit was registered on February 10, 2026, under number 19/Pid.Pra/2026/PN JKT.SEL. The preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 10:00 AM Western Indonesian Time.

KPK: Pre-Trial is the Right of the Suspect, the Determination Process is in Accordance with the Law

The KPK stated that it respects the legal action. KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo emphasized that pre-trial is the right of every citizen and part of the testing mechanism in the criminal justice system. Nevertheless, the KPK considers that the entire series of investigations, inquiries, up to the determination of suspects in this case have been carried out in accordance with the provisions of the procedural law.

In the hajj quota case, the KPK is said to have issued a general investigation warrant since August 2025. In January 2026, the KPK named two suspects, namely Gus Yaqut and his former special staff, Ishfah Abidal Aziz (Gus Alex). The KPK also stated that the determination of suspects was based on sufficient evidence, both formal and material aspects.

The KPK also mentioned that the BPK has confirmed that the hajj quota is within the scope of state finances. Currently, the investigation is still ongoing, including waiting for the finalization of the calculation of state financial losses. The KPK also stated that it is still awaiting the official summons or notification from the court regarding the pre-trial application.

Background of the Additional Hajj Quota and Alleged Fee

This case originated from a meeting between President Joko Widodo and the Government of Saudi Arabia in 2023 which resulted in an additional 20 thousand hajj quota. The KPK suspects that, after the information circulated, the hajj travel association communicated with the Ministry of Religious Affairs to discuss the distribution of the quota.

The KPK mentioned that the distribution of the quota should be 92% regular hajj and 8% special hajj, but it is suspected that there was an agreement to divide the additional quota into 50%-50% between regular and special. With the increase in the special hajj quota, a number of travel bureaus allegedly provided fees to certain parties in the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

The value of state losses is still being calculated, although the KPK had stated that the alleged losses could reach around IDR 1 trillion. Through his legal counsel, Gus Yaqut stated that he would be cooperative in the ongoing investigation process.