Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex, former special staff of the Minister of Religion for the period 2020-2024 Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, again spoke after undergoing an examination at the Red and White Building of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta today.
Ishfah is known to have undergone an examination as a witness to the corruption case in determining quotas and the implementation of the 2023-2024 hajj pilgrimage at the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) from 09.35 WIB until around 17.50 WIB. He was questioned as a witness even though he had the status of a suspect.
"Ask the investigators directly," Ishfah told reporters when asked about the material of his examination.
He also gave the same answer when asked about meeting Maktour Travel boss Fuad Hasan Masyhur along with former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas in 2023. The meeting is rumored to discuss the distribution of 20,000 additional Hajj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government.
"Ask the investigators. Later at the right time I will give information," he said as he hurried.
KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo said that the examination of Ishfah also involved the auditor of the Indonesian Financial Supervisory Agency (BPK). This step is to ensure state losses due to alleged corruption in the haj quota.
"Witnesses are present and the examination focuses on the counting of state finances by the state auditor," Budi told reporters through his written statement, Thursday, January 29.
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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