The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has revealed allegations\nof USD 30,000 being given to Ishfah Abidal Aziz, alias Gus Alex, who\nserved as a former special staff to ex-Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut\nCholil Qoumas. Yaqut has denied any involvement in receiving the\nmoney.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo (I didn\u2019t receive the money),\u201d Yaqut stated when asked if he had\nreceived the USD 30,000, following an examination at the KPK building in\nSouth Jakarta on Tuesday (31\/3\/2026).<\/p>\n
Yaqut was not forthcoming about the alleged flow of funds. He has\nleft legal proceedings to his lawyer.<\/p>\n
Previously, the KPK named two new suspects in the corruption case\nconcerning the distribution of additional Hajj quotas for 2023-2024. The\nnew suspects are Ismail Adham (ISM), Operational Director of PT Makassar\nToraja (Maktour), and Asrul Azis Taba (ASR), Chairman of the Kesthuri\nAssociation.<\/p>\n
The KPK then disclosed allegations of fund transfers from Ismail\nAdham (ISM) to state officials. KPK Deputy for Enforcement and Execution\nAsep Guntur Rahayu stated that Ismail is suspected of giving USD 30,000\nto Gus Alex, who was already a suspect.<\/p>\n
Asep said Ismail also allegedly handed over USD 5,000 to Hilman\nLatief (HL), Director General of Hajj and Umrah Organisation (Dirjen\nPHU) at the Ministry of Religious Affairs in 2024. Hilman remains a\nwitness in this case.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuspect ISM is suspected of giving a sum of money to IAA amounting\nto USD 30,000, as well as to Mr HL, as Director General of Hajj and\nUmrah Organisation, Dirjen PHU, Ministry of Religious Affairs, USD 5,000\nand SAR 16,000,\u201d Asep said during a press conference at the KPK building\nin South Jakarta on Monday (30\/3).<\/p>\n
Asep stated that Maktour obtained unjust or illegal gains after\nproviding the money. In 2024, Asep said, Maktour\u2019s illegal gains reached\nRp 27.8 billion.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor their actions, PT Makassar Toraja (Maktour) obtained unjust or\nillegal gains in 2024 amounting to approximately Rp 27.8 billion; this\nis the result of the state financial loss calculation conducted by\nauditors,\u201d Asep explained.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, suspect Asrul Azis Taba (ASR) is alleged to have given USD\n406,000 to Gus Alex related to the additional Hajj quotas. Asep said the\ndistribution of additional quotas for special Hajj has benefited eight\nPIHK (special Hajj travel agencies).<\/p>\n
He mentioned that Gus Alex and Hilman represented Yaqut when\nreceiving money from Ismail and Asrul. He said Yaqut had appointed them\nto handle matters for the PIHK.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe receipt of a sum of money by IAA and HL from the suspects is\nsuspected to be a representation of Mr YCQ, who was the Minister of\nReligious Affairs at the time, because colleagues should know that Mr\nIAA was a special staff member, and on several occasions Mr YCQ always\nstated that for any matters, go directly to Mr IAA,\u201d he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/former-religious-affairs-minister-yaqut-denies-receiving-usd-30-000-from-special-hajj-travel-agency-1774950791", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }