JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) again examined Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex, a former special staff of the Minister of Religion for the 2020-2024 period, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, today.
He was questioned as a witness even though he was a suspect in the corruption case for determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 hajj pilgrimage at the Ministry of Religion.
"KPK has scheduled another examination of IAA in the continuation of the investigation of the Hajj quota case," said KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo to reporters through his written statement, Thursday, January 29.
Budi said the examination was still ongoing because Ishfah was already in the KPK's Merah Putih building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta. This examination will also be accompanied by the auditor of the Financial Audit Agency (BPK).
"Witnesses are present and the examination focuses on the state's financial accounting by the state auditor," he continued.
Ishfah is known to have been examined by investigators at the KPK office on Monday, January 26. He underwent an examination from 09.38 WIB and was completed at around 17.28 WIB.
During the examination, the BPK auditor provided more questions to ensure state losses in the Hajj quota corruption case.
As previously reported, the KPK has announced two suspects in the corruption case for determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 Hajj period at the Ministry of Religion. They are former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and staff in particular, Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex.
The determination of the suspect was made later, because the KPK investigated the alleged corruption by using a general investigation order (sprindik) issued on August 7, 2025.
The Sprindik general uses 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 jo article 55 paragraph 1-1 of the Criminal Code. This means that there is state loss that occurs due to this corrupt practice.
The KPK said that the state's losses in the 2023-2024 quota and Hajj management corruption cases were said to have reached more than Rp. 1 trillion. The suspicion began with the provision of 20,000 additional Hajj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government for Indonesia to reduce the queue of 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, according to the law, the distribution should be 92 percent for regular hajj and 8 percent for special hajj.
During the course of this case, a number of parties have been examined. Among them are former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas to travel agents or travel agents who organize special hajj (PIHK), including Fuad Hasan Masyhur as the boss of Maktour.
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