The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Has Seized Two Houses Worth IDR6.5 Billion in Suspected Hajj Quota Corruption.

KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo (Tsa Tsia/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) seized two houses in South Jakarta on Monday, September 8. The confiscation was carried out because the property assets, worth billions of rupiah, were suspected of being linked to the corruption case surrounding the 2023-2024 Hajj quota and management at the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

"KPK investigators have seized two houses located in South Jakarta with a total value of approximately IDR 6.5 billion," KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo told reporters on Tuesday, September 9.

Budi stated that the houses were confiscated from an employee at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, specifically a civil servant (ASN) at the Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah Organization (Ditjen PHU). However, he did not provide details.

The houses were reportedly purchased with cash in 2024. "And it is suspected (the money used, ed.) came from fees for the sale and purchase of Indonesian Hajj quotas," he emphasized.

As previously reported, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has issued a general investigation warrant (sprindik) for alleged corruption in the 2023-2024 Hajj quota increase and organization. The agency argued that the issuance was necessary to allow for coercive action.

The general sprindik invokes Article 2 Paragraph 1 and/or Article 3 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Corruption, as amended by Law Number 20 of 2021 in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph 1, Point 1 of the Criminal Code. This means that state losses have occurred as a result of this corrupt practice.

The state losses in the 2023-2024 Hajj quota and organization corruption case are said to have reached over IDR 1 trillion. This figure is still expected to increase as it is only a preliminary estimate from the KPK, which continues to coordinate with the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

This case stems from the Saudi Arabian government's granting of 20,000 additional Hajj quotas to Indonesia to reduce the queue of pilgrims.

However, the distribution turned out to be problematic because it was divided equally, namely 50 percent for regular Hajj and 50 percent for special Hajj.

According to the law, the distribution should be 92 percent for regular Hajj and 8 percent for special Hajj.

The distribution is suspected to be due to money received from Hajj and Umrah travel agencies and associations affiliated with the Ministry of Religious Affairs. They then sell the additional quotas to prospective Hajj pilgrims.