KPK Investigates Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas Today Regarding the Hajj Quota Corruption Case

Former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas while visiting the KPK building (Tsa Tsia/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has scheduled a hearing with former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas today, January 30. He will be questioned as a witness even though he has the status of a suspect in the corruption case for determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 hajj at the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag).

"Today, Friday, January 30, the KPK has scheduled a summons to YCQ as the former Minister of Religion 2020-2024 in the continuation of the investigation into the alleged corruption case related to the quota for the Indonesian Hajj pilgrimage in 2023-2024," said KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo to reporters through a written statement, Friday, January 30.

"The examination today is in the capacity as a witness," he continued.

Budi emphasized that this examination was a continuation of the process of calculating state losses in this case. "This week the KPK has also summoned other witnesses to be questioned," he said.

"Among them, regarding the calculation of state financial losses, with an audit conducted by the BPK auditor," he explained.

As for calculating state losses, the KPK has examined Maktour Travel boss Fuad Hasan Masyhur and special staff of the former Minister of Religion Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex on Monday, January 26.

Ishfah was even called back on Thursday, January 29. The former stafsus was also appointed with Yaqut.

As previously reported, the KPK has 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 determination of the suspect was made later, because the KPK investigated the alleged corruption by using a general investigation order (sprindik) issued on August 7, 2025.

The Sprindik general uses Article 2 Paragraph 1 and/or Article 3 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Corruption as amended by Law Number 20 of 2021 jo article 55 paragraph 1-1 of the Criminal Code. This means that there is state loss that occurs due to this corrupt practice.

The KPK said that the state's losses in the 2023-2024 quota and Hajj management corruption cases were said to have reached more than Rp. 1 trillion. 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, recently 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.