KPK Ready to Reveal Yaqut Cholil Qoumas et al's Actions When Reading the Indictment

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will reveal the actions of the former Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and other defendants in the corruption case for determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 Hajj pilgrimage at the Ministry of Religion.

KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo said the KPK Public Prosecutor (JPU) would outline the facts and evidence in the indictment to be read on Tuesday, August 11. The public is asked to monitor the trial which is open so that they know Yaqut's actions and the other three defendants in this case.

The defendants are the former Special Staff to the Minister of Religion, Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex; Director of Operations Maktour Ismail Adham; and the General Chairman of the Kesthuri Association, who is also the Commissioner of PT Raudah Eksati Utama Asrul Azis Taba.

"The KPK prosecutor will certainly explain in full detail how the construction of the case is based on the results of the investigation," said Budi through his written statement, Monday, August 10.

"Including a series of events that underlie the alleged criminal act, the role of each party suspected of being involved, how the process and mechanism of the act occurred, and the relationship between the acts of the defendants which then resulted in financial losses to the state," he continued.

Budi further ensured that the indictment read was in accordance with the facts and evidence. "Including the alleged flow of the provision or receipt of a certain amount of money as found in the investigation process, as well as the suspicion of the article charged to each defendant according to the role and deeds allegedly committed," he said.

"Of course, all of these descriptions will later be tested in the trial process through proof. Therefore, the KPK invites the public to continue to monitor and observe the development of this case trial."

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 20,000 additional Hajj quotas given by the Government of Saudi Arabia to Indonesia in 2023 and 2024. 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 with 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 fully refers to the national order number.

In the process, the KPK suspects that there has been a collection of fees from a number of Special Haji Organizers (PIHK) in exchange for the acceleration of the departure of pilgrims. The collection is said to be imposed on prospective special pilgrims with a maximum of 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 Rp. 40.8 billion.

The KPK also suspects that the money collected from the fee was intended to be used to pay the Hajj pilgrimage in 2024.

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.