KPK Involves Legal Experts For Additional Hajj Quota SK Signed By Former Minister Of Religion Yaqut

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Building

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is collaborating with legal experts to investigate allegations of corruption in quotas and organizing Hajj by the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) in 2023-2024. They consulted the interpretation of Law Number 8 of 2019 to Decree (SK) of the Minister of Religion Number 130 of 2024 regarding additional hajj quotas.

"We have consulted and we have also summoned experts, legal experts," said Acting Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the KPK Asep Guntur Rahayu to reporters quoted on Wednesday, August 13.

Asep said that former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas may say that the distribution contained in the regulation is legal. However, it actually has other findings.

Moreover, the distribution of additional hajj quotas from the government of Saudi Arabia of 20,000 from the start is believed by the KPK to be not in accordance with Article 64 paragraph 2 of Law Number 8 of 2019 concerning the Implementation of Hajj and Umrah.

"Seharusnya berdasarkan undang-undang itu, (pembagian dilakukan, red) 98 persen untuk haji reguler dan 8 persen untuk haji khusus," tegasnya.

"Then they with various reasons, various kinds of reasons are finally divided into 10,000 for regular Hajj and 10,000 for special Hajj, meaning 50 percent-50 percent and violating or not in accordance with existing laws," continued Asep, who also serves as Director of KPK Investigation.

Previously reported, the KPK has issued a general investigation warrant (sprindik) for alleged corruption in the addition of quotas and the implementation of Hajj. This institution reasoned that the issuance was carried out so that they could make forced efforts.

"With this public sprindik, we are more free to collect evidence and also collect information so that it makes light of a case that we are currently handling," said Acting Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the KPK Asep Guntur Rahayu at a press conference at the KPK's Merah Putih building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Saturday morning, August 9.

The general Sprindik uses Article 2 Paragraph 1 and/or Article 3 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended by Law Number 20 of 2021 in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code. This means that there are state losses that occur due to this rasuah practice.

The state losses in the corruption case of quotas and the implementation of Hajj for the 2023-2024 period are said to have reached more than IDR 1 trillion and could increase. This figure arises because the distribution of an additional 20,000 Hajj quota from the Saudi Arabian government is carried out inappropriately, namely 92 percent for regular Hajj and the rest or 8 percent for special Hajj.