JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said that the alleged corruption in determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 hajj, which dragged former Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, had caused the state to lose hundreds of billions of rupiah.
The Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the KPK, Asep Guntur Rahayu, said that the state's losses had been calculated by the state auditor, namely the Indonesian Financial Supervisory Board (BPK). This figure is what makes Yaqut and his staff, especially Ishfah Abidal Azis alias Gus Alex as suspects.
"To complete the investigation of this case, the Financial Audit Agency has also calculated the state financial losses caused by the illegal acts committed by the parties, namely reaching Rp. 622 billion," Asep said at a press conference at the KPK's Red and White building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Thursday night, March 12.
Asep explained that this alleged corruption began with the provision of 20,000 additional Hajj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government to Indonesia in 2023-2024.
Based on Law Number 8 of 2019 concerning the Implementation of the Hajj and Umrah and the results of the agreement of the Panja Meeting of Commission VIII of the DPR RI, the special hajj quota should be set at 8 percent of the total quota, while the remaining 92 percent is intended for regular hajj.
However, Yaqut as the Minister of Religion at that time was suspected of unilaterally changing its composition.
Using the maneuver of issuing a Minister of Religious Affairs Decree (KMA) that was not transparently disseminated, Yaqut divided the additional Hajj quota into a 50 percent scheme for regular Hajj and 50 percent for special Hajj.
Meanwhile, Ishfah Abidal Aziz implemented the policy by easing the rules for special hajj pilgrims.
He arranged for the filling of the remaining special hajj quota to be handed over to the proposed Special Hajj Service (PIHK) or travel agents. In fact, there should be an order of departure according to the national order number according to the law.
This condition, continued Asep, creates a gap for worshipers with status T0 or TX. This means that prospective worshipers who have just registered but can immediately leave without having to queue.
In return for this acceleration facility, Gus Alex instructed his subordinates to collect illegal levies or fees from travel parties, which were ultimately charged to prospective special pilgrims.
In 2023, the amount of the fee is pegged at USD5,000 or around Rp84.4 million per pilgrim.
Meanwhile, in the 2024 Hajj, the collection rate was agreed at least USD2,000 to USD2,500 per pilgrim.
The billions of rupiah from the collection of fees are suspected to have flowed into the pockets of Gus Yaqut, Gus Alex, and a number of other officials in the Ministry of Religion.
The anti-corruption commission also sniffed that some of the funds were deliberately prepared and used to condition the Special Hajj Committee (Pansus) which was formed by the DPR RI in mid-2024.
In order to recover state losses, KPK investigators have moved to confiscate various assets belonging to the suspects with an estimated value exceeding Rp. 100 billion.
The assets seized include cash amounting to USD3.7 million, Rp22 billion, and SAR16,000. Four luxury cars and five plots of land and buildings were also seized.
For their actions, the two suspects are suspected of violating 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 2001 jo Article 55 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.
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