The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Has Been Urged To Immediately Name A Suspect In The Alleged Corruption Of Quota And Hajj Implementation

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI) has urged the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to immediately name a suspect in the alleged corruption in the addition of quotas and the implementation of Hajj by the Ministry of Religion.

This pressure was conveyed by MAKI Coordinator Boyamin Saiman after the KPK issued a general investigation warrant (sprindik) to investigate allegations of corruption in quotas and the implementation of Hajj. This regulation means that there are no suspects.

"MAKI urges the KPK to immediately determine a suspect in the alleged corruption in the implementation of the 2024 Hajj, where the source of the problem is related to the existence of an additional 20,000 hajj quota which should only be 8 percent for special Hajj, but in fact it actually gets 50 percent or 10,000," Boyamin said in a video statement to reporters, Monday, August 11.

Boyamin has a theory of extortion against the determination of the 10,000 hajj quota. Thus, he urged the anti-corruption commission to immediately move.

"Of these 10,000, it is suspected that there was an alleged extortion of five thousand dollars or Rp. 75 million per congregation. Because indeed the difference for leaving for Hajj is long. For Hajj plus 7 years, the usual pilgrimage is 20-30 years," he said.

"So even though they were asked to add 5 thousand dollars or Rp75 million, the congregation was actually suspected of taking, well, this should have been without that addition," continued Boyamin.

Furthermore, Boyamin also mentioned that there was a mens rea or malicious intent in the distribution of the additional quota. "Why is it added up to 10,000 or 50 percent of the additional quota, yes, because it is suspected that there are naughty elements who want to take advantage," he said.

In the future, the anti-corruption commission is expected not only to target employees of the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag). "The lower one is only carrying out the duties of its superiors. Therefore, it should be the superiors who have a higher authority," said Boyamin.

Previously reported, the KPK has issued a general investigation warrant (sprindik) for alleged corruption in the addition of quotas and the implementation of Hajj. This institution reasoned that the issuance was carried out so that they could make forced efforts.

"With this public sprindik, we are more free to collect evidence and also collect information so that it makes light of a case that we are currently handling," said Acting Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the KPK Asep Guntur Rahayu at a press conference at the KPK's Merah Putih building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Saturday morning, August 9.

The general Sprindik uses Article 2 Paragraph 1 and/or Article 3 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended by Law Number 20 of 2021 in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code. This means that there are state losses that occur due to this rasuah practice.