The Process Of Distributing Troubled Hajj Quota Is Wanted By The KPK Through The Secretary General Of The Yaqut Era Ministry Of Religion

KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo (Tsa Tsia/VOI)

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) continues to explore the process of issuing a Decree (SK) of the Minister of Religion regarding the distribution of 20,000 additional hajj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government signed by former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas.

KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo said the investigation was carried out by examining Nizar Ali, who is the Secretary General of the Ministry of Religion during the Yaqut era. He was questioned as a witness to alleged corruption in quotas and the implementation of Hajj in 2023-2024 on Friday, September 12.

The anti-corruption commission suspects that the Minister of Religion's decree is problematic because the distribution of the hajj quota is not in accordance with the law, which is 92 percent for regular Hajj and 8 percent for special Hajj.

The hajj quota, in the regulation, is actually divided equally, namely 50 percent for regular Hajj and 50 percent for special Hajj.

"(Researched, red) the processes for issuing decisions or policies related to the distribution of additional quotas into regular and special quotas," Budi told reporters quoted Monday, September 15.

Meanwhile, Nizar admitted that he had answered investigators' questions after undergoing an examination for 3.5 hours at the KPK's Merah Putih building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta. Among them, regarding the process of issuing the Decree (SK) of the Minister of Religion Number 130 of 2024 which was signed by Yaqut.

"Yes, we usually ask about the mechanism for the issuance of the decree, we will answer everything," Nizar told reporters.

Even so, Nizar did not explain in detail the process of issuing the regulation. He only explained that the Secretary General of the Ministry of Religion was in a position as a coordinator and administrative service that was different from the duties of the Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah.

Meanwhile, the preparation of the decree, he continued, started from the initiator and then forwarded it to the Secretary General and the Legal Bureau. Then there were a number of discussions that were carried out until they were signed by the Minister of Religion.

"Yes, there is an initiator, from the pemasaka then to the secretary general, the secretary general to the legal bureau, the legal bureau continues to be discussed with a new paraf-paraf process," he said.

Previously reported, the KPK has issued a general investigation warrant (sprindik) for alleged corruption in the addition of quotas and the implementation of Hajj in 2023-2024. This institution reasoned that the issuance was carried out so that they could make forced efforts.

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 corrupt practice.

State losses in the corruption case of quota and Hajj for the period 2023-2024 are said to have reached more than IDR 1 trillion. This amount is still increasing because it is only the initial calculation of the KPK which continues to coordinate with the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

This case began with the provision of 20,000 additional Hajj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government for Indonesia to reduce queues for pilgrims. However, 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, based on the law, the distribution should be 92 percent for regular Hajj and 8 percent for special Hajj.

Later, the distribution of problems was allegedly due to money from the Hajj and Umrah travel parties as well as the associations that oversee the Ministry of Religion. After getting the allotment, they sold the additional quota to prospective pilgrims.