JAKARTA - The owner of PT Zahra Oto Mandiri or Uhud Tour, Khalid Basalamah, admitted that he knew the Board of Trustees of the Silaturahmi Forum of the Association of Hajj and Umrah Travel (SATHU) Fuad Hasan Masyhur. But, he claimed that he never discussed additional Hajj quotas with the boss of Maktour Travel.
This was conveyed by Khalid after being examined as a witness in the alleged corruption in the distribution of quotas and the organization of the 2023-2024 Hajj at the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) today, April 23.
"It's not that I don't know, it's just that people know it in general," Khalid said at the KPK's Red and White building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Thursday, April 23.
He said he had interacted with Fuad. But, it was not about the quota for pilgrims for his prospective pilgrims.
"The interaction if it is a matter of affairs like this, of course not," he said.
Meanwhile, the KPK has revealed Fuad Hasan Masyhur's role in the case. Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the KPK, Asep Guntur Rahayu, said Fuad had communicated with the former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas regarding additional Hajj quotas.
"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.
This step was taken after the Saudi Arabian government provided an additional 8,000 Hajj quotas for Indonesia in 2023.
Not only that, Fuad was also said to have communicated with former Director General of Haji and Umrah (PHU) Hilman Latief to discuss the absorption of the quota.
In November 2023, Fuad was even known to meet directly with Yaqut to discuss the implementation of the 2024 hajj. In the meeting, he was said to have asked that the special hajj quota managed could exceed 8 percent.
"The meeting was also attended by several managers of the PIHK Association which is part of the SATHU Forum. The meeting discussed, among others, the request of the SATHU Forum to manage additional special hajj quotas of more than 8 percent," said Asep.
The KPK is currently still investigating further regarding the alleged receipt of certain payments in the process.
"So far we are investigating it, from 2023 and 2024," said Asep, who had served as the KPK's Director of Investigation.
The KPK previously named two new suspects in the Hajj quota corruption case, namely Ismail Adhan as the Director of Operations of Maktour Travel and Asrul Azis Taba who is the former General Chairman of the Indonesian Hajj and Umrah Travel Association (Kesthuri). The two are suspected of plotting to get additional Hajj quotas from the Saudi government even giving money.
Ismail is said to have given money to Ishfah Abidal Azis, who is a former special staff of the Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas worth 30 thousand US dollars. Then, he gave money to Abdul Latief as the Director General of Haji and Umrah (Dirjen PHU) Ministry of Religion with details of 5,000 US dollars and 16,000 Saudi riyals.
This act then made Maktour obtain an illegal profit in 2024 worth Rp. 27.8 billion.
Meanwhile, Asrul is said to have given money worth 406 thousand US dollars. From this gift, eight special haj organizers (PIHK) under the auspices of Kesthuri received illegal profits of up to Rp. 40.8 billion.
The determination of the two is an expansion of the corruption case of the haj quota which had previously ensnared Yaqut and Ishfah. This suspected corruption began with the provision of 20,000 additional haj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government to Indonesia in 2023-2024.
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