KPK Suggests Calling Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Yaqut as a Suspect Today After the Preliminary Hearing Was Rejected

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas. (Tsa Tsia-VOI)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) signaled that it would call former Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas as a suspect in the corruption case of determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 hajj in today, March 12.

This was conveyed by the Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the KPK, Asep Guntur Rahayu, regarding his agency's follow-up after the pretrial lawsuit filed by Yaqut was rejected by the South Jakarta District Court (PN) on Wednesday, March 11. He said that the process of requesting information would be carried out in the near future.

"Last week, the call was made for this week. Later, just wait, at the end of the week," Asep told reporters at the KPK's Red and White building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, quoted on Thursday, March 12.

"Thursday is the weekend, yes," he continued.

Meanwhile, regarding detention, Asep did not want to speculate. He only ensured that the forced effort would be carried out in accordance with legal regulations.

"Of course there are many conditions that we must fulfill. ... We must meet these conditions and in order to do so, we are calling the person concerned and others," he said.

As previously reported, the South Jakarta District Court (PN) rejected the pretrial lawsuit filed by former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas regarding the legality or not of the determination of suspects in the corruption of quotas and the implementation of the 2023-2024 hajj by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

The verdict was read by Single Judge of the PN Jaksel, Sulistyo Muhammad Dwi Putro, today, March 11. The application was rejected in its entirety.

"Judging: in the main case: rejecting the application of the Pre-trial Applicant for all of them," said Sulistyo as the hakom when reading the verdict.

The judge said the establishment of a suspect against Yaqut was in accordance with the Constitutional Court (MK) decision and the Supreme Court Regulation (Perma) Number 4 of 2016.

The pre-trial was filed after the KPK announced two suspects in the corruption case for determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 Hajj period at the Ministry of Religion. They are former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and staff in particular, Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex.

The two are suspected of causing state losses in the process of determining the Hajj quota according to the calculations of the Financial Audit Agency (BPK).

The suspicion began with the provision of 20,000 additional Hajj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government for Indonesia to reduce the queue of pilgrims. However, later the distribution turned out to be problematic because it was divided equally, namely 50 percent for regular Hajj and 50 percent for special Hajj.

In fact, according to the law, the distribution should be 92 percent for regular hajj and 8 percent for special hajj.

During the course of this case, a number of parties have been examined. Among them are former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas to travel agents or travel agents who organize special hajj (PIHK), including Fuad Hasan Masyhur as the boss of Maktour.