Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has returned former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas to a detention facility after briefly granting him house arrest, as investigators press ahead with a corruption probe into the allocation of hajj quotas.
Yaqut, widely known as Gus Yaqut, arrived at the KPK's Red and White building in South Jakarta at around 10:33 a.m. on Tuesday. Wearing the agency's signature orange detainee vest, he was escorted by officers to the second floor for further processing.
The anti-graft agency had initially detained Yaqut on March 12 for 20 days following his designation as a suspect in a case involving alleged corruption in the distribution of additional hajj quotas for 2023-2024.
Five days later, his family requested a transfer to house arrest. The KPK approved the request, allowing Yaqut to leave detention on March 19.
However, KPK officials reversed the decision earlier this week. Deputy for Enforcement and Execution Asep Guntur Rahayu said the status change back to detention took effect on Monday, after Yaqut underwent a medical examination at the National Police Hospital in Kramat Jati, near his residence.
"The transfer could not be carried out immediately because the suspect had to undergo a health check first," Asep said.
KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo confirmed that the move was part of preparations for further questioning in the ongoing investigation.
The brief period of house arrest had drawn public scrutiny after reports emerged that Yaqut was no longer held at the KPK facility during the Eid holiday. Observers and visitors noted his absence during Eid prayers and visiting hours, prompting questions over transparency and equal treatment among detainees.
The KPK has denied that the transfer to house arrest was due to illness, though it has not fully detailed the reasons for granting the request. The decision to return him to custody comes less than a week after the initial transfer.
Yaqut acknowledged that the request for house arrest had come from his family on March 17 and was later approved by the commission.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/kpk-sends-yaqut-back-to-jail-after-brief-house-arres