The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Will Investigate The Order To Distribute Problematic Hajj Quota

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will trace orders for the distribution of hajj quotas by the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) which have problems and result in state losses. The investigation was carried out during the investigation process by summoning a number of witnesses.

"Investigators will investigate the orders to determine the quota," said KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo, quoted on Tuesday, August 12.

Budi said the KPK believed that the alleged corruption in quotas and the implementation of Hajj for the 2023-2024 period was problematic due to the shift in rations for regular and special Hajj.

The additional quota of 20,000 from the Saudi Arabian government should not be divided equally. Budi said, according to the laws and regulations, the distribution is 92 percent for regular Hajj while the remaining 8 percent can be allocated for special Hajj.

This process will then be explored by witnesses. Likewise with the flow of money to certain parties, especially from travel agents or travel agents who usually take care of the pilgrimage to get a special hajj quota.

Because, Budi said, special Hajj is managed by travel agents. Meanwhile, regular Hajj that takes care of is the Ministry of Religion.

"We will see if there is a flow of money to certain parties. If there is, who are the certain parties, well, everything will be traced by the KPK," he said.

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.

The state losses in the corruption case of quotas and the implementation of Hajj for the period 2023-2024 are said to have reached more than IDR 1 trillion. This amount but still increases because it is only the initial calculation of the KPK that continues to coordinate with the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) of the Republic of Indonesia.