KPK Communicates with Asrul Aziz Regarding His Presence in Saudi Arabia

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) admitted that it had communicated with the suspect in the alleged corruption case of the Hajj quota of Asrul Aziz Taba (ASR), namely after knowing that the former General Chairman of the Indonesian Republic Hajj Umrah Travel Tour (Kesthuri) was in Saudi Arabia.

"Brother ASR is currently detected abroad, namely still in Saudi Arabia. Investigators have received confirmation from the Immigration, and have also managed to communicate with the suspect ASR," said KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo to journalists in Jakarta, Wednesday.

Budi explained that the KPK appealed to the suspect to immediately return to Indonesia, so that he could be questioned by the anti-corruption agency's investigators.

"If it is necessary to conduct an examination by investigators in their capacity as suspects, then they can meet the call, because of course we all want the investigation of this case to be completed or completed," he said.

Furthermore, he said the case of the Hajj quota would continue to develop because the KPK ensured that it was still being investigated.

For example, he said, exploring the role of other parties in the Ministry of Religion, the association of haji organizing bureaus, and the haji bureau itself from the time before there was a discretion in the distribution of additional haj quotas, the distribution process, until after the discretion.

"This will continue to develop. There are still other clusters that will be investigated and traced by investigators," he said.

Previously, on August 9, 2025, the KPK began investigating a case of alleged corruption related to the 2023-2024 Hajj quota for Indonesia.

The KPK on January 9, 2026 announced that former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex as Yaqut's special staff as suspects in the case.

Meanwhile, Fuad Hasan Masyhur as the owner of the Maktour Hajj organizing office was not named a suspect, although he was temporarily barred from going abroad.

On February 27, 2026, the KPK announced that it had received an audit from the Indonesian Financial Supervisory Board (BPK) regarding state financial losses due to the Hajj quota case.

Then on March 4, 2026, the KPK announced that the state's financial losses due to the case reached Rp. 622 billion.

On March 12, 2026, the KPK detained Yaqut Cholil at the KPK Red and White Building Branch State Detention House.

Then on March 17, 2026, the KPK detained Gus Alex at the KPK Anti-Corruption Education Center Building Branch Detention Center.

On the same date, Yaqut Cholil's family appealed to the KPK to make the former Minister of Religion a house arrest. The KPK then granted the request and Yaqut became a house arrest since March 19, 2026.

On March 23, 2026, the KPK announced that it was processing the transfer of Yaqut Cholil's detention from house arrest to prison detention. On March 24, 2026, Yaqut officially became a prisoner of the KPK Detention Center.

The KPK announced two new suspects in the case, namely on March 30, 2026. They are the Director of Operations of Maktour Ismail Adham, and the General Chairman of the Union of Tour Travel Haji Umrah of the Republic of Indonesia (Kesthuri) Asrul Aziz Taba.