8 Witnesses Including GP Ansor Management Worked On By KPK Today Regarding Corruption Hajj Quota

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has scheduled the examination of eight witnesses for alleged corruption in quotas and the implementation of the 2023-2024 Hajj pilgrimage at the Ministry of Religion, today, September 4. Among them is Syarif Hamzah Asyathry who is an entrepreneur and has the status of a GP Ansor administrator.

"The investigation was carried out at the KPK's Red and White building," said KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo to reporters in a written statement, Thursday, August 4.

Apart from Syarif, the KPK also examined eight other witnesses. They are as follows:

1. Zainal Abidin as Independent Commissioner of PT Sucofindo

2. Rizky Fisa Abadi as Head of Sub-Directorate for Licensing, Accreditation, and Development of Special Hajj, Directorate of Bina Umrah and Hajj for the period October 2022-November 2023

3. Muhammad Al Fatih as Executive Secretary of Kesthuri

4. Juahir as Kesthuri Visa Division

5. Firda Alhamdi as a private employee, employees of PT. Raudah Eksati Utama

Syam Resfiadi as an entrepreneur or chairman of SapuhiM Agus Syafi as Head of Sub-Directorate for Licensing, Accreditation, and Development of Special Hajj Implementation for the 2023-2024 Period

Budi has not yet detailed the issue of the examination of these eight witnesses. However, they were questioned regarding the alleged corruption that was being handled.

"The KPK has scheduled an examination of witnesses suspected of corruption related to the hajj quota for the implementation of the pilgrimage in 2023-2024," 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 in 2023-2024. This institution reasoned that the issuance was carried out so that they could make forced efforts.

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 corrupt practice.

State losses in the corruption case of quota and Hajj for the period 2023-2024 are said to have reached more than IDR 1 trillion. This amount is still increasing because it is only the initial calculation of the KPK which continues to coordinate with the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

This case began with the provision of 20,000 additional Hajj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government for Indonesia to reduce queues for 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, based on the law, the distribution should be 92 percent for regular Hajj and 8 percent for special Hajj.