KPK: The Addition Of Hajj Quota From The Government Of Saudi Arabia Is Not In Accordance With The Initial Goals

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

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) revealed that the addition of 20,000 hajj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government was not in accordance with the original goal of unraveling the queues for pilgrims.

This was conveyed by the KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo who mentioned the practice of buying and selling special quotas for pilgrims departing in 2024. In fact, they do not need to queue because they take advantage of the additional quota.

"Even though if we look at the scheme in the pilgrimage, there are queues, both regular and special quotas, some are even regular for decades," Budi told reporters at the KPK's Merah Putih building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Tuesday, September 16.

"What does that mean, the purpose of adding this quota is ultimately not in accordance with the initial purpose of increasing the quota," he continued.

The practice of buying and selling begins with the distribution of an additional 50 percent quota for regular Hajj and 50 percent for special Hajj. In fact, the legislation stipulates that the additional 20,000 quotas should be divided by 92 percent for regular Hajj and 8 percent for special Hajj.

Therefore, investigators are exploring the process of buying and selling from travel agents or travel agents.

"Because of what, because some of those who use the quota are probably yes, some are the congregation who bought it that year and immediately departed," said Budi.

"This means that it doesn't significantly cut the queue," he said.

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 such as searches, confiscations and witness examinations.

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 the queues 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 based on the Decree (SK) of the Minister of Religion signed by Yaqut Cholil Qoumas.

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 problems was allegedly due to money from the Hajj and Umrah travel parties as well as the associations that oversee the Ministry of Religion. After getting the allotment, they sold the additional quota to prospective pilgrims.