Judge rejects Yaqut challenge, hajj quota graft trial continues

The panel of judges at the Central Jakarta Corruption Court rejected Yaqut Cholil Qoumas' objection in the alleged 2023-2024 hajj quota corruption case. The interlocutory ruling read out on Thursday said the defense team's objections were inadmissible, so the trial will move to examination of the merits on 1 September. Chief judge Ni Kadek Susantiani said arguments about the distribution of the additional special hajj quota, alleged money flows, and state financial losses are matters for evidentiary review. Prosecutors accuse Yaqut of causing Rp622,09 miliar in state losses through the arrangement of the 2024 additional special hajj quota at 50 percent without a technical basis, as well as the filling of the 2023-2024 quota, which was said not to follow the mechanism. Three other defendants in the case are Ishfah Abidal Aziz, Ismail Adham, and Asrul Aziz Taba.