PPATK Submits Data On The Flow Of Hajj Quota Corruption Money To The KPK

Head of PPATK, Ivan Yustiavandana (doc. PPATK).

JAKARTA - The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) has provided data to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) regarding the flow of corruption money in the implementation and hajj quota in 2023-2024 to the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag). Coordination is carried out by these two institutions to prove the existence of fraudulent practices.

"Since the beginning, our team and the KPK have continued to coordinate, we have conveyed a lot of data, both requested and based on the progress of our analysis," said PPATK Chairman Ivan Yustiavandana to reporters quoted on Monday, September 15.

Even so, Ivan did not want to elaborate further on where the flow of money went. Including regarding the number of accounts detected and the total value of the transaction.

"The names can be asked directly to the KPK. From the PPATK side, it will trace the flow of funds from the PN side, private parties or other related parties," he said.

Meanwhile, Acting (Plt) Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the KPK Asep Guntur agrees that investigators will continue to explore where the corruption money flows. He said this effort was carried out by cooperating with PPATK.

This statement was conveyed by Asep when asked whether there was money for corruption in the hajj quota enjoyed by the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Executive Board and the Ansor Youth Movement (GP Ansor).

These two religious community organizations (ormas) emerged in the corruption case of the hajj quota because the KPK summoned Syaiful Bahri as PBNU staff on Tuesday, September 9.

Then, former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, who has also been questioned and signed a Decree regarding the distribution of 20,000 additional quotas of Hajj from Saudi Arabia, served as Chairman of GP Ansor.

"So, we are following the money, where the money flows, like that," Asep told reporters at the KPK's Merah Putih building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Wednesday, September 10.

Asep said this step was taken because the implementation of the Hajj also involved religious organizations. "Of course it's not in the sense that we discredited one of these religious organizations. No," he said.

"We do handle every corruption case, we will research and trace where the money is," continued Asep, who also serves as Director of KPK Investigations.

Previously reported, the KPK has issued a general investigation warrant (sprindik) for alleged corruption in the addition of quotas and the implementation of Hajj in 2023-2024. 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, 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.

Later, the distribution of the problem was allegedly due to money from the Hajj and Umrah and the association that oversees the Ministry of Religion. After getting the allotment, they sold the additional quota to prospective pilgrims