The controversy over the status of Yaqut House Prisoner, Dewas KPK is asked not to just look for black sheep

Former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator, Praswad Nugraha, reminded the KPK Supervisory Board (Dewas) to seriously follow up on reports of alleged ethical violations related to the transfer of the status of former Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas. Don't let them just look for a scapegoat to blame in this controversy.

"Dewas needs to ensure that ethical checks do not lead to the practice of looking for scapegoats," Praswad said in a written statement quoted on Monday, April 6.

Praswad meminta proses klarifikasi harus dilakukan secara terbuka. Sehingga, publik memahami secara utuh duduk persoalan dalam pengalihan status penahanan tersebut.

In addition, the Dewas KPK was urged to reveal the issue of changing the status of detention. "If in the process there is no error in the leadership or KPK personnel, but there are indications of political pressure or intervention, then this must be revealed honestly," he said.

However, if a violation of ethics is found, Dewas is asked not to hesitate to impose a firm sanction in accordance with the applicable rules. This is in accordance with the KPK Supervisory Board Regulation Number 3 of 2021.

Furthermore, Praswad reminded the importance of protection for KPK personnel who work according to procedures. He alluded to previous experiences when KPK investigators faced political pressure in handling cases.

"We hope that the KPK personnel who carry out their duties well and with integrity will not be made scapegoats," said the former investigator.

On the other hand, Praswad emphasized the importance of synergy between Dewas and the leadership of the KPK in facing external pressure. "The relationship between the two should not be confrontational, but rather mutually reinforcing in the face of external pressure," he said.

In the future, Praswad reminded that handling this complaint is an opportunity to show the independence and commitment of the Dewas KPK to maintain the integrity of the anti-corruption institution.

"A transparent, fair, and free from intervention examination process will strengthen public confidence while ensuring that the checks and balances mechanism within the KPK runs healthily," he said.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the KPK Supervisory Board, Gusrizal, said that the report of alleged ethical violations that entered related to the transfer of Yaqut's status as a prisoner would be followed up in accordance with the standard operational procedures (SOP). "We highly appreciate the public's role in overseeing the implementation of law enforcement at the KPK," said Gusrizal in a written statement quoted on Thursday, April 2.

The KPK Dewas will also monitor the investigation into alleged corruption in determining quotas and the implementation of the 2023-2024 hajj. This supervision, said Gusrizal, is aimed at preventing the abuse of authority.

"Dewas emphasizes its commitment not to weaken in carrying out its oversight function. Dewas will monitor every stage of handling this case, especially in terms of ethics and the behavior of KPK personnel, to ensure that there is no abuse of authority in the future," he said.

As previously reported, former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas had been under house arrest since Thursday, March 19. The transfer of the status of detention was carried out after there was a request from the family on March 17 or five days after the detention on Thursday, March 12.

The KPK claims that the change in status from prison detention to house arrest has been reviewed and is in accordance with Article 108 paragraph (1) and (11) of Law Number 20 of 2025 concerning the Criminal Procedure Code.

Article 108 paragraph (11) regulates that the transfer of type of detention can be carried out based on an investigation order which is given to the suspect, the suspect's family, and the interested parties.

After the polemics, the KPK again detained Yaqut at the Red and White KPK Branch Detention Center on Tuesday, March 24. This process began with a health examination first at Bhayangkara Hospital Tk. I. R. Said Sukanto, East Jakarta on Monday, March 23.

The Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the KPK, Asep Guntur Rahayu, had spoken out about this controversy and said that the change in Yaqut's status as a prisoner was a strategy for investigating the alleged corruption in determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 hajj. He even said there was new progress in the case.

However, this controversy has led a number of parties to report the KPK leadership to the KPK Supervisory Board. One of those who submitted a report was Boyamin Saiman as the Coordinator of the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI).

Boyamin suspects that the five heads of the anti-corruption commission allowed outside interference and did not report it to the KPK Dewas. In addition, he also questioned the aspect of information openness which was considered not to be carried out by the KPK in the transfer process.