KPK: Non-PIHK Travel Agents Participate In Buying And Selling Additional Hajj Quota 2023 2024

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) revealed that there are travel agents or travel agents who are not special hajj organizers (PIHK) who buy quotas to dispatch prospective pilgrims.

KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo said the findings could be investigated after examining a number of parties related to the alleged corruption of quotas and the implementation of Hajj in 2023-2024 at the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag).

There are a number of buying and selling modes for additional problematic hajj quotas found, one of which is that non-PIHK travel agents buy quotas from licensed agents.

"There are some that travel bureaus or PIHK do not yet have permission to carry out special Hajj services, but then they can do or organize them," Budi told reporters quoted on Tuesday, October 7.

"Where from the request for statements from witnesses was obtained the fact that this PIHK bought a special quota from other travel agencies and other travel bureaus that were already registered with the system," he continued.

In addition, Budi also said, the witnesses also said that there were a number of gifts to unscrupulous religious Ministries with various modes. The money has been returned to the anti-corruption commission and then confiscated.

"There is a mode of acceleration, some are indeed giving a kind of, yes, quotes to the parties of the Ministry of Religion," he said.

Previously reported, the KPK said that allegations of corruption related to quotas and the implementation of Hajj in 2023-2024 at the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) would enter a new chapter. In the near future, the suspects will be determined because of the process that runs using a general investigation warrant (sprindik).

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 number 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 stems from the provision of 20,000 additional Hajj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government for Indonesia to reduce queues for pilgrims. However, the distribution turned out to be problematic because it was divided equally, namely 50 percent for regular Hajj and 50 percent for special Hajj based on the Decree (SK) of the Minister of Religion signed by Yaqut Cholil Qoumas.

In fact, based on the law, the distribution should be 92 percent for regular Hajj and 8 percent for special Hajj.

Later, the distribution of problems was allegedly due to money from the Hajj and Umrah travel parties as well as the associations that oversee the Ministry of Religion. After getting the allotment, they sold the additional quota to prospective pilgrims.

During the investigation process, a number of parties have been questioned, including Yaqut Cholil Qoumas. Investigators have also searched his house and found documents and electronic evidence that are suspected to be related.