After Checking Yaqut, KPK Targets Former Menag Staff and Haji Bureau Owner in Hajj Quota Case

KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo (Tsa Tsia/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said that a number of witnesses would be summoned in connection with the alleged corruption in determining quotas and the implementation of the 2023-2024 hajj pilgrimage at the Ministry of Religion.

Among them are Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex as a former special staff of the Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and Fuad Hasan Masyhur who is the owner of the Maktour Hajj organizing bureau.

This was conveyed by KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo regarding the steps that will be taken by investigators after examining Yaqut on Tuesday, December 16. As for Ishfah along with Fuad Hasan and Yaqut have been prevented from going abroad for six months.

"If there is still a need to delve into information and information from other parties, including those who have been prevented from going abroad, of course, they will be summoned to complete the information and information obtained at yesterday's examination," Budi told reporters at the KPK's Red and White building, Kuningan Persada, quoted Wednesday, December 17.

Budi said that this summons was carried out after investigators analyzed the information obtained from Yaqut. The process will be carried out together with the Financial Audit Agency (BPK) because it will also calculate the state's financial losses in this case.

"From tonight's examination, analysis will be carried out, both by the KPK and by the BPK, especially in the need for counting state financial losses," he said.

Furthermore, Budi agreed that Ishfah and Fuad knew the details of this corruption case on the haj quota. So, their testimony is indeed needed and important.

"These blocked parties are suspected of knowing a lot about the construction of this case," he said.

Previously reported, the KPK has issued a general investigation order (sprindik) for alleged corruption in adding quotas and organizing the hajj. This institution reasoned that the issuance was carried out so that they could carry out coercive efforts.

The Sprindik general uses 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 2021 jo article 55 paragraph 1-1 of the Criminal Code. This means that there is state loss that occurs due to this corrupt practice.

The state's losses in the 2023-2024 quota and haj management corruption cases are said to have reached more than Rp1 trillion. This number is still increasing because it is only the initial count of the KPK which continues to coordinate with the Financial Supervisory Board (BPK).

This case started with the provision of 20,000 additional Hajj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government for Indonesia to reduce the queue of pilgrims.

However, recently 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, according to the law, the distribution should be 92 percent for regular hajj and 8 percent for special hajj.