Yaqut's Lawyer Questions 271,500 US Dollars: What is the Basis?

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas/DOK ANTARA

JAKARTA - The legal team of former Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas questioned the basis of the Public Prosecutor of the Corruption Eradication Commission (JPU KPK) to accuse his client of receiving US $ 271,500 in the case of alleged corruption in the additional 2023-2024 Hajj quota.

Yaqut's lawyer, Dodi Abdul Kadir, assessed that the indictment did not explain in detail how the money was obtained, handed over, and where the transaction took place.

"So the imposition, the mention of the receipt of 271,000 was felt, it was very visible just to connect so that Gus Yaqut as Minister of Religion has a connection," said Dodi on the sidelines of a trial at the Corruption Court (Tipikor) Jakarta, Tuesday, August 11.

According to Dodi, the practice of collecting acceleration fees and departing pilgrims without a waiting period, which is referred to in the indictment, occurs in the field and involves PIHK and Siskohat operational personnel.

He questioned why the names mentioned who received money in the practice were not also held accountable in the same case.

"The names are clearly mentioned, the money is clearly mentioned hundreds of thousands of dollars, but there is no one in the parties who should be held accountable," he said.

Dodi assessed that the inclusion of US$ 271,500 in the indictment seemed to be used to link Yaqut with the practice of speeding fees.

He also questioned why the money laundering article was not applied so that the flow of funds could be thoroughly traced.

"If this law enforcement is really serious, from the beginning the money laundering article has been applied, so that every party that is said to receive funds can follow the money to where and from where the money comes from," he said.

Meanwhile, another lawyer for Yaqut, Mellisa Anggraini, assessed that most of the description of the indictment was actually related to technical issues in the environment of the Directorate of Haji and Umrah Implementation.

According to Mellisa, her party has studied the statements of 432 witnesses and nine experts in the case.

"They have returned, they have been confiscated, then when determining the fee, they determine it directly from them for them. So we see from this existing case why it became a minister?" said Mellisa.

Mellisa emphasized that according to the legal team, Yaqut's actions in the case were basically only related to his authority as Minister of Religion, namely setting additional quotas and encouraging the quotas to be absorbed to the maximum.

"Because Gus Yaqut's actions are only two: the first is to set an additional quota in the Minister of Religion's Decree, which is his authority. The second is to encourage this quota to be absorbed to the maximum. Where is the crime?" he said.