Hajj Quota Case, KPK Charges Khalid Basalamah and Senior Officials of the Hajj Travel Association Related to the SATHU Forum
JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is investigating the role of the Silaturahmi Forum of the Association of Hajj and Umrah Travel (SATHU) in the corruption case of determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 Hajj pilgrimage at the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag). This step was taken by asking for the testimony of a number of witnesses, including the speaker and owner of Uhud Tour, Khalid Basalamah on Thursday, April 23.
"Investigators are also investigating the Sathu Forum," said KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo to reporters at the KPK Red and White building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, quoted on Friday, April 24.
This in-depth, continued Budi, needs to be carried out because there are parties from the Sathu Forum and the special haj organizing association (PIHK) who are actively fighting during the arrangement of the haj quota distribution.
Meanwhile, in a press conference some time ago, the KPK had mentioned the active role of Fuad Hasan Masyhur as the Sathu Board of Trustees to get additional quotas for the associations in the forum.
The boss of Maktour Travel was even said to have met with the former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas who is now in custody after being named a suspect along with staff, especially Ishfah Abidal Azis or Gus Alex.
"This also includes matters related to the management of the Hajj quota after the splitting," said Budi.
"So what is the arrangement for the distribution or distribution. That is for the examination of witnesses from the association," he continued.
Meanwhile, Khalid Basalamah claimed that he had never discussed the addition of a quota for prospective pilgrims with Fuad Hasan Masyhur. However, he did not deny knowing the travel agent or travel agent for Hajj and Umrah.
"The interaction if it's a matter of affairs like this, of course not," Khalid told reporters after undergoing an examination.
The KPK previously named two new suspects in the Hajj quota corruption case, namely Ismail Adhan as the Director of Operations of Maktour Travel and Asrul Azis Taba who is the former General Chairman of the Indonesian Hajj and Umrah Travel Association (Kesthuri). The two are suspected of plotting to get additional Hajj quotas from the Saudi government even giving money.
Ismail is said to have given money to Ishfah Abidal Azis, who is a former special staff of the Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas worth 30 thousand US dollars. Then, he gave money to Abdul Latief as the Director General of Haji and Umrah (Dirjen PHU) Ministry of Religion with details of 5,000 US dollars and 16,000 Saudi riyals.
This act then made Maktour obtain an illegal profit in 2024 worth Rp. 27.8 billion.
Meanwhile, Asrul is said to have given money worth 406 thousand US dollars. From this gift, eight special haj organizers (PIHK) under the auspices of Kesthuri received illegal profits of up to Rp. 40.8 billion.
The determination of the two is an expansion of the corruption case of the haj quota which had previously ensnared Yaqut and Ishfah. This suspected corruption began with the provision of 20,000 additional haj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government to Indonesia in 2023-2024.