Ex-Minister of Religion Yaqut Officially Detained by the KPK in Connection with Hajj Quota Corruption: Policy for the Safety of the Community

JAKARTA - Former Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas claims that the discretion of the distribution of the hajj quota is solely for the safety of the hajj pilgrims.

This statement was made by Yaqut after officially wearing the orange uniform of a prisoner of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) today. He was detained after being questioned as a suspect in alleged corruption in determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 hajj.

"I do all of these policies solely for the safety of the pilgrims," said Yaqut before getting into the prisoner's car, Thursday, March 12.

Yaqut also stated on that occasion that he had never enjoyed the flow of money from the results of the discretionary distribution of additional Hajj quotas.

"I never received a penny from the case that was alleged against me," he said.

Yaqut Cholil Qoumas left the KPK Red and White building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta at around 18.47 WIB. He seemed to rush into the prisoner's car.

Meanwhile, the Banser NU entourage who had been waiting since the morning shouted loudly, guided by an orator from the command car, "Gus Yaqut! Gus Yaqut friends to the death."

In addition, this Banser group also burned clothes as a form of protest. "KPK is unjust, KPK is unjust!"

As previously reported, the South Jakarta District Court (PN) rejected the pretrial lawsuit filed by former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas regarding the legality or not of the determination of suspects in the corruption of quotas and the implementation of the 2023-2024 hajj by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

The verdict was read by Single Judge of the PN Jaksel, Sulistyo Muhammad Dwi Putro, today, March 11. The application was rejected in its entirety.

"To be judged: in the main case: to reject the application of the Pre-trial Applicant for all of them," said Sulistyo when reading the verdict.

The judge said the establishment of a suspect against Yaqut was in accordance with the Constitutional Court (MK) decision and the Supreme Court Regulation (Perma) Number 4 of 2016.

The pre-trial was filed after the KPK announced two suspects in the corruption case for determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 Hajj period at the Ministry of Religion. They are former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and staff in particular, Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex.

The two are suspected of causing state losses in the process of determining the Hajj quota according to the calculations of the Financial Audit Agency (BPK).

The suspicion began with the provision of 20,000 additional Hajj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government for Indonesia to reduce the queue of pilgrims. However, later 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, according to the law, the distribution should be 92 percent for regular hajj and 8 percent for special hajj.

During the course of this case, a number of parties have been examined. Among them are former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas to travel agents or travel agents who organize special hajj (PIHK), including Fuad Hasan Masyhur as the boss of Maktour.