KPK to Investigate Alleged Flow of US$1 Million to DPR Hajj Sub-Committee

KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo/PHOTO: Wardhany Tsa Tsia-VOI

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) stated that the flow of US$ 1 million (US) that was allegedly to condition the Special Committee (Pansus) on the DPR's 2024 Hajj Inquiry Rights was a new fact in the investigation stage. This finding will be investigated in the process of investigating the alleged corruption in determining quotas and the implementation of the 2023-2024 Hajj in the Ministry of Religion.

"Regarding this information, the KPK will certainly later trace, investigate the validity of this information, yes, one of them is certainly by summoning witnesses who know about the alleged incident," said KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo to reporters quoted on Tuesday, April 28.

Budi said information about the 1 million US dollar fund was a crucial finding that overlapped with the main case. Moreover, the KPK used information that was rolling in the DPR Haji Pansus hearing as a material for enriching the investigation.

"That later it was suspected that in its development there was information related to the money, then the KPK would certainly trace, confirm related to whether the information was a fact," he said.

"This means that this can be a new fact about how it relates to the main case. Well, later we will continue to delve into it," continued Budi.

The KPK some time ago revealed that Zainal Abidin (ZA) as an Independent Commissioner of PT Sucofindo was suspected of conditioning the Special Committee (Pansus) for Hajj in the DPR RI. He is said to be an intermediary who made the money transfer.

This was conveyed by the acting (Plt) Director of KPK Investigation Achmad Taufik Husein when asked about the provision of money to the haji committee which was revealed in the corruption case of determining quotas and the implementation of the 2023-2024 hajj in the Ministry of Religion.

Zainal has been summoned in his capacity as a witness on Thursday, September 4, 2025. This figure is said to be one of the young cadres of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) community organization (NU).

"The fact that we found, it is true that there is a witness ZA who is an intermediary in the transfer of money to the members of the sub-committee. We have examined ZA," Taufik told reporters at the KPK's Red and White building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Monday, April 13.

In addition to checking Zainal Abidin, Taufik ensured that the seizure of money handed over to the Hajj Sub-Committee had also been carried out. But, he did not specify the amount or the origin of the money. Taufik only claimed that the money had not yet been received by the members of the DPR RI Hajj Sub-Committee. "Unless it is still in the middle (ZA, red)," he said.

"Regarding the information that the money has been used and then paid in installments, we will investigate further," continued Taufik.

As previously reported, the KPK has 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 Union of Tour Travel Haji Umrah RI (Kesthuri). Both 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 illegal profits in 2024 worth Rp27.8 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 Rp40.8 billion.

The determination of the two is the development of the case of corruption in 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.

Based on Law Number 8 of 2019 concerning the Implementation of the Hajj and Umrah and the results of the agreement of the Panja Meeting of Commission VIII of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, the special hajj quota should be set at 8 percent of the total quota, while the remaining 92 percent is intended for regular hajj.

However, when Yaqut was Minister of Religion at that time, it was suspected that he unilaterally changed its composition. Using the maneuver of issuing the Decree of the Minister of Religion (KMA) which was not disseminated transparently, he divided the additional Hajj quota into a 50 percent scheme for regular Hajj and 50 percent for special Hajj.

Meanwhile, Ishfah Abidal Aziz implemented the policy by relaxing the rules for special hajj pilgrims. He is suspected of arranging the filling of the remaining special hajj quota to be submitted to the proposal of the Special Hajj Service Provider (PIHK) or travel agency which should be in accordance with the national order number as regulated by law.

In return for these accelerated facilities, Gus Alex instructed his subordinates to collect illegal levies or fees from travel parties, which were ultimately charged to prospective special pilgrims. In 2023, the amount of the fee set at USD5,000 or around Rp84.4 million per pilgrim. Meanwhile, in the 2024 Hajj, the collection rate was agreed at least USD2,000 to USD2,500 per pilgrim.

The billions of rupiah from the collection of fees are suspected of flowing into the pockets of Gus Yaqut, Gus Alex, and a number of other officials in the Ministry of Religion.

Then there is the suspicion that some of the funds were deliberately prepared and used to condition the Special Hajj Committee (Pansus) which was formed by the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia in mid-2024. However, a refusal was given so that no transfer by an intermediary would occur.

As a result of the actions of the two, the state is said to have lost up to Rp622 billion. They were then suspected of violating Article 2 (1) and or Article 3 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Corruption Crimes as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 jo Article 55 paragraph (1) -1 of the Criminal Code.