KPK Suspects A Number Of Associations For Hajj And Umrah Tours To Arrange Additional Quota Distribution

KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo/PHOTO: Wardhany Tsa Tsia-VOI

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) suspects that a number of Hajj and Umrah associations have regulated the distribution of 20,000 additional quotas from the Saudi Arabian government.

They will be summoned for questioning regarding the alleged corruption in quotas and the implementation of Hajj in 2023-2024.

"Well, those who carry out this planning include associations. So that during the examination process, parties from this association were also summoned and questioned by investigators to explain this," said KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo to reporters quoted on Thursday, August 28.

Even so, Budi did not want to reveal who the Association was suspected of being involved in the planning of the special hajj quota. However, the KPK has summoned M. Firman Taufik as the General Chair of the Umrah and Hajj Organizing Association (HIMPUH) today.

Then, investigators also examined Budi Darmawan as President Director of PT Annatama Purna Tour. From a number of searches, it turns out that this name also served as Chairman of the Honorary Council of the General Chairperson of HIMPUH and was once chairman of the association for the period 2020-2024.

Previously reported, the KPK has issued a general investigation warrant (sprindik) for alleged corruption in the addition of quotas and the implementation of Hajj. This institution reasoned that the issuance was carried out so that they could make forced efforts.

The general Sprindik uses Article 2 Paragraph 1 and/or Article 3 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended by Law Number 20 of 2021 in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code. This means that there are state losses that occur due to this corrupt practice.

State losses in the corruption case of quota and Hajj for the period 2023-2024 are said to have reached more than IDR 1 trillion. This amount is still increasing because it is only the initial calculation of the KPK which continues to coordinate with the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

This case began with the provision of 20,000 additional Hajj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government for Indonesia to reduce queues for pilgrims.

However, recently 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, based on the law, the distribution should be 92 percent for regular Hajj and 8 percent for special Hajj.