KPK prosecutors have responded to the challenge filed by former\nReligious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas in the alleged corruption\ncase concerning additional hajj quotas for 2023-2024. Prosecutors stated\nthat the case involves corruption beyond reasonable bounds. \u201cIn this\ncase, the corruption that occurred is beyond reasonable bounds because\nits impact not only harms state finances with a very large value, namely\nRp 622 billion, but also has a broad and massive impact on the\nfulfilment of citizens\u2019 rights guaranteed by the constitution,\u201d said the\nKPK prosecutor at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Friday\n(21\/8\/2026).<\/p>\n
Prosecutors argued that citizens\u2019 rights to exercise their most\nfundamental right\u2014the right to worship according to their religion and\nbeliefs, specifically for Muslims to perform the hajj pilgrimage to the\nHoly City of Mecca as guaranteed by Article 29 of the 1945\nConstitution\u2014were not fulfilled. Prosecutors stated that this\nfundamental right was seized due to alleged corrupt practices in the\ncase. \u201cThat right has been seized by the lust of a handful of people to\naccumulate wealth and profit unlawfully by exploiting the high\nenthusiasm of the Indonesian public to perform the hajj pilgrimage,\u201d the\nprosecutor said.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors said the additional hajj quota was instead used by a\nhandful of people to provide opportunities for financially well-off\nparties to go on hajj without waiting in the queue. In fact, prosecutors\nsaid the additional hajj quota was originally intended to cut the\nwaiting period for regular prospective pilgrims, which has reached 41\nyears. \u201cFurthermore, in this case a number of facts will be found\nshowing that the additional hajj quota, which was originally intended to\ncut the waiting period for regular prospective pilgrims that has reached\n41 years, was instead used and exploited by a handful of people,\u201d said\nthe KPK prosecutor. \u201cTo provide opportunities for parties with\nestablished financial means to perform the hajj pilgrimage without\nwaiting in the queue as long as they are able to meet the requirements\nthat have been set,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors said the case enabled a number of parties to depart for\nhajj without a waiting period because they paid more money than they\nshould have, namely an acceleration fee to special hajj pilgrimage\norganisers (PIHK). Prosecutors said the prosecution of this case also\nseeks to seize all proceeds of the crime and return them to the state.\n\u201cUltimately, bringing this case to criminal examination through a series\nof criminal proceedings so that it can be examined, tried and decided by\nthe panel of judges of the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta\nDistrict Court is our effort as public prosecutors from the Corruption\nEradication Commission to hold accountable the parties responsible for\nthe criminal events that have occurred,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Previously, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas was charged with causing state losses\nof Rp 622,090,207,166.41 (Rp 622 billion) in the alleged corruption case\nconcerning additional hajj quotas for 2023-2024. Prosecutors said the\nacts were carried out by Asrul together with the Chairman of the\nKesthuri Association Asrul Azis Taba, Yaqut\u2019s former special staff\nmember Ishfah Abidal Azis alias Gus Alex, and the Operations Director of\nPT Makassar Toraja (Maktour) Ismail Adham. Prosecutors said the filling\nof the additional special hajj quota for 2023-2024 carried out by the\ndefendants contravened applicable legal provisions with the aim of\naccommodating requests from the Association of Special Hajj Pilgrimage\nOrganisers (PIHK).<\/p>\n
Prosecutors believe the case enriched Yaqut by USD 271,500, or\napproximately Rp 4,833,786,000 (Rp 4.8 billion) at current exchange\nrates. In addition, prosecutors believe the case also enriched a number\nof other parties including 313 Special Hajj Pilgrimage Organiser (PIHK)\ncorporations. Prosecutors said there were practices of buying and\nselling special hajj quotas, buying and selling hajj officer quotas, and\nacceleration fees in this case, resulting in some pilgrims who should\nhave departed failing to do so, while some pilgrims who were not\nentitled to depart were instead sent.<\/p>\n
Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has also filed a challenge against the indictment\nin the alleged corruption case concerning the distribution of additional\nspecial hajj quotas. Yaqut\u2019s lawyer, Mellisa Anggraini, said the\nprosecutor\u2019s indictment was not careful. \u201cThe indictment is not careful\nand is vague because it ignores the defendant\u2019s attributive authority\nunder Article 9 of Law Number 8 of 2019 as well as the fact that\nMinister of Religious Affairs Decree Number 130 of 2024 is an\noperational stipulation derived from the official MoU between the\nGovernment of the Republic of Indonesia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia\ndated 8 January 2024 which divided 20,000 additional quotas into 10,000\nregular and 10,000 special,\u201d said Mellisa Anggraini while reading the\nchallenge at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday (18\/8).<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/prosecutors-hit-back-at-yaqut-hajj-quota-case-beyond-reasonable-bounds-1787302461", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }