Completed Investigation File, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas Will Be Tried Immediately in the Hajj Quota Corruption Case   

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas/DOK VOI

JAKARTA - Former Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas will soon undergo trial for alleged corruption in determining quotas and the implementation of the 2023-2024 Hajj pilgrimage at the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag). The file and transfer of suspects from investigators to prosecutors at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) have been carried out.

"The implementation of this phase II marks that the investigation process has been declared complete and the handling of the case has entered the prosecution stage," said KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo through his written statement, Tuesday, July 14.

In addition to Yaqut, the other three suspects who were also handed over were former Special Staff to the Minister of Religion Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex, Director of Operations of PT Maktour Ismail Adham, and Commissioner of PT Raudah Eksati Utama who is also the General Chairman of the Union of Tour Travel Haji Umrah of the Republic of Indonesia (Kesthuri), Asrul Azis Taba.

Furthermore, the public prosecutor has a maximum of 14 days to prepare the indictment and submit the case to the Jakarta Corruption Court (Tipikor).

According to Budi, the trial will be an open space for public proof. So, all parties are asked to escort until the judge's verdict is tapped.

"The KPK believes that the judicial mechanism is an important instrument to provide legal certainty that meets the sense of justice of the community," he said.

"At the same time, this is a manifestation of the KPK's commitment to completing corruption cases professionally, transparently, and in accordance with the provisions of laws and regulations."

Meanwhile, Yaqut hopes that the trial will be a momentum to reveal all the facts in the alleged corruption case of the haj quota that ensnared him.

"Bismillah-bismillah, may the truth be revealed," said Yaqut while undergoing an examination and administrative process for the transfer of cases at the KPK's Red and White building, Jakarta, Tuesday, July 14.

When asked whether he would open the involvement of other parties in the case, Yaqut answered briefly.

"Insyaallah," he said briefly.

As previously reported, the KPK has named four suspects in the alleged corruption case for determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 Hajj pilgrimage at the Ministry of Religion. They are former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, former Special Staff to the Minister of Religion Ishfah Abidal Azis alias Gus Alex, Director of Operations of Maktour Travel Ismail Adhan, and former General Chairman of the Indonesian Republic of Hajj Umrah Travel Union (Kesthuri) Asrul Azis Taba.

The investigation began with the distribution of the Saudi Arabian Government's allocation of 2023 and 2024 to Indonesia. Based on Law Number 8 of 2019 concerning the Implementation of the Hajj and Umrah and the agreement of the Panja Commission VIII of the DPR RI, the additional quota should be divided into a composition of 92 percent for regular Hajj and 8 percent for special Hajj.

However, the KPK suspects that there has been a policy change through the issuance of a Minister of Religious Affairs Decree that divides the additional quota into 50 percent for regular hajj and 50 percent for special hajj. The policy was then implemented by easing the mechanism for filling the special hajj quota, which no longer completely refers to the national order number.

In the process, the Special Hajj Special (PIHK) was charged with a fee of up to 5,000 US dollars per pilgrim in 2023 and 2,000 to 2,500 US dollars per pilgrim in 2024.

From the results of the investigation, Ismail Adhan allegedly gave Ishfah Abidal Azis 30 thousand US dollars and 5,000 US dollars and 16 thousand Saudi riyals to the then Director General of Haji and Umrah Implementation of the Ministry of Religion, Abdul Latief. This act is suspected of making Maktour obtain an illegal profit of around IDR 27.8 billion.

Meanwhile, Asrul Azis Taba allegedly gave money amounting to 406 thousand US dollars. From this gift, eight PIHKs belonging to Kesthuri are said to have obtained illegal profits of up to Rp. 40.8 billion.

The KPK also suspects that some of the funds from the fee collection were prepared to condition the Special Committee (Pansus) for the DPR RI Hajj, which was formed in mid-2024. However, the alleged delivery was not realized due to the rejection of the party who would receive it.

As a result of the alleged actions of the suspects, the state is estimated to have suffered losses of up to IDR 622 billion. The KPK charged the suspects with Article 2 paragraph (1) and/or Article 3 of the Corruption Law in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.