KPK Reveals SATHU Hajj Travel Forum Manage Additional Quota Larger Due to Affiliation of Maktour Boss

Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the KPK Asep Guntur Rahayu/PHOTO: Wardhany Tsa Tsia-VOI

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has revealed that the haj travel which is part of the Silaturahmi Forum of the Association of Hajj and Umrah Travel (SATHU) has received a larger additional quota. This is suspected to be related to the role of Maktour's boss, Fuad Hasan Masyhur.

Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the KPK, Asep Guntur Rahayu, said that the findings were revealed when investigators investigated the quota allocation received by Maktour. Directly, the travel actually received a smaller quota than other travel agencies.

In fact, said Asep, Fuad is known to have actively communicated with the Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia, including with former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas when Indonesia obtained additional Hajj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government.

"This Mr. FHM, he is active, why does his travel get less, well, that's what we are investigating," Asep told reporters quoted on Monday, March 16.

From the investigation, it turns out that the additional quota was more distributed to the travel bureau which was included in the SATHU Forum. Fuad is known to serve as a Board of Trustees in the forum.

In addition, the travel bureau that is part of the forum is also said to have a relationship or affiliation with Fuad.

"So if you add it up, he (Fuad Hasan Masyhur) actually got an additional quota, ed), it is bigger than the others," said Asep, who also served as the KPK's Director of Investigation.

"So affiliated, like his company's children are. So divided," he continued.

During the press conference for the detention of former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Asep said that Fuad Hasan Masyhur's involvement as the boss of Maktour Travel. He said that this entrepreneur had once written a letter to Yaqut as the Board of Trustees of the Silaturahmi Forum of the Association of Hajj and Umrah Travel (SATHU).

This step was taken after the Saudi government provided an additional quota, which initially amounted to 8,000 to the Indonesian government in 2023.

"FHM as the Board of Trustees of the SATHU Forum sent a letter to the YCQ which aims to maximize the absorption of additional quotas," said Asep in a press conference at the KPK Red and White building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Thursday, March 12.

In addition, Fuad, who is the father-in-law of former Minister of Youth and Sports (Menpora) Dito Ariotedjo, also communicated with the former Director General of Haji and Umrah (PHU) Hilman Latief. The goal is the same, namely maximizing the absorption of additional Hajj quotas.

The communication, continued Asep, was carried out after the Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives with Yaqut Cholil Qoumas as the Minister of Religion in May 2023.

Asep also explained that the Sathu Forum, which was initiated by Fuad, had met with Yaqut in November 2023. They asked to manage the special hajj quota of more than 9 percent.

"The meeting discussed, among others, the request of the SATHU Forum to manage additional special Hajj quotas of more than 8 percent."

As previously reported, the KPK officially detained the former Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas on Thursday, March 12. This arrest was carried out after he was named a suspect in the corruption case of determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 hajj at the Ministry of Religion together with staff, especially Ishfah Abidal Azis alias Gus Alex.

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.

In return for these accelerated facilities, Gus Alex instructed his subordinates to collect illegal levies or fees from travel parties, which were ultimately imposed on 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.

Then there is an allegation 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. However, a refusal was given so that no transfer by intermediaries would occur.

As a result of the actions of the two, the state is said to have lost up to IDR 622 billion. They were then suspected of violating Article 2 (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.