KPK Gives Signal to Develop Hajj Quota Corruption Case 

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has hinted that it will develop allegations of corruption in determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 hajj at the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag).

This was conveyed by KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo when asked about the role of the owner of Maktour Travel, Fuad Hasan Masyhur in the haj quota corruption case. According to him, the development will relate to the party who initiated the addition of quotas that did not comply with the rules.

"Regarding (the involvement, ed) of other parties that are also related, we will wait for the development of the investigation," Budi told reporters at the KPK's Red and White building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Tuesday, July 14.

"We draw from the initial history regarding the background of the additional Hajj quota given by the Saudi Arabian government to the Indonesian government. So later we will see who initiated it," he continued.

Budi said that the four suspects in this case, including the former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, had been handed over to the prosecutor and would undergo trial. He emphasized that all the roles of the parties concerned would definitely be open so that the public was invited to monitor.

"In the process of proving this, it will also be presented, in addition to the defendants, also witnesses to strengthen the process of proving what the KPK Prosecutor General has accused the defendants in this case," said Budi.

"And of course the panel of judges will also assess it in the process of proving, and also if it is needed to present other witnesses, it is also possible. So later we will see the development of the legal process of the Hajj Quota case in the future. "

As previously reported, the KPK has named four suspects in the alleged corruption case for determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 Hajj pilgrimage at the Ministry of Religion. They are former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, former Special Staff to the Minister of Religion Ishfah Abidal Azis alias Gus Alex, Director of Operations of Maktour Travel Ismail Adhan, and former General Chairman of the Indonesian Republic of Hajj Umrah Travel Union (Kesthuri) Asrul Azis Taba.

The investigation began with the distribution of the Saudi Arabian Government's allocation of 2023 and 2024 to Indonesia. Based on Law Number 8 of 2019 concerning the Implementation of the Hajj and Umrah and the agreement of the Panja Commission VIII of the DPR RI, the additional quota should be divided into a composition of 92 percent for regular Hajj and 8 percent for special Hajj.

However, the KPK suspects that there has been a policy change through the issuance of a Minister of Religious Affairs Decree that divides the additional quota into 50 percent for regular hajj and 50 percent for special hajj. The policy was then implemented by easing the mechanism for filling the special hajj quota, which no longer completely refers to the national order number.

In the process, the Special Hajj Special (PIHK) was charged with a fee of up to 5,000 US dollars per pilgrim in 2023 and 2,000 to 2,500 US dollars per pilgrim in 2024.

From the results of the investigation, Ismail Adhan allegedly gave Ishfah Abidal Azis 30 thousand US dollars and 5,000 US dollars and 16 thousand Saudi riyals to the then Director General of Haji and Umrah Implementation of the Ministry of Religion, Abdul Latief. This act is suspected of making Maktour obtain an illegal profit of around IDR 27.8 billion.

Meanwhile, Asrul Azis Taba allegedly gave money amounting to 406 thousand US dollars. From this gift, eight PIHKs belonging to Kesthuri are said to have obtained illegal profits of up to Rp40.8 billion.

The KPK also suspects that some of the funds from the fee collection were prepared to condition the Special Committee (Pansus) for the DPR RI Hajj, which was formed in mid-2024. However, the alleged delivery was not realized due to the rejection of the party who would receive it.

As a result of the alleged actions of the suspects, the state is estimated to have suffered losses of up to IDR 622 billion. The KPK charged the suspects with Article 2 paragraph (1) and/or Article 3 of the Corruption Law in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.