Commission VIII Responds to Allegations of Hajj Funds Flowing to Parliamentary Special Committee
The head of Commission VIII of the House of Representatives, Marwan Dasopang, has responded to allegations that funds from fees or commitment fees collected from prospective special hajj pilgrims were being used to influence the Special Committee (Pansus) overseeing hajj operations in the Indonesian Parliament.
Marwan claimed to have no knowledge of the KPK’s findings. He stated that his commission was merely executing the special committee that was at the time headed by the General Chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Muhaimin Iskandar.
“I don’t know about that. I don’t know. I was only carrying out my duties in the Pansus,” said Marwan at the parliamentary complex on Friday, 13 March.
The PKB politician expressed shock at the KPK’s findings regarding the alleged fund flows in the case now involving former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas.
“I was actively involved in the Pansus, and I am shocked too because I was not aware of this, I don’t understand it,” said Marwan.
He claimed he had focused solely on executing his duties in the special committee by gathering various findings based on investigations conducted in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
“It was not easy to obtain those data. Based on those data, the conclusions were reached as those handed over to law enforcement, I believe,” said Marwan.
One of the special committee’s findings had revealed allegations of violations in the distribution of additional hajj quotas for 2023. The original allocation was 92 per cent for regular hajj and 8 per cent for special hajj, but this was altered to 50 per cent each.
According to the KPK, the Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas allegedly demanded fees of approximately USD $4,000–5,000 (Rp67.5 million–Rp84.4 million) from travel agencies or hajj operators. These fees were subsequently charged to the pilgrims.
During the process, when information emerged that the House of Representatives would establish the Special Hajj Committee around July 2024, Ishfah Abidal Aziz, also known as Gus Alex and serving as Yaqut’s special assistant, allegedly ordered the relevant staff to return the collected fees to the associations or hajj operators.
However, according to the KPK, some of the fees allegedly remained in Yaqut’s possession and were used for his personal interests.
The KPK revealed that the remaining funds allegedly held by Yaqut were used to influence the parliamentary special hajj committee, which was known to Yaqut.
“The fees collected were allegedly also used to influence the special hajj committee known to YCQ,” said the KPK’s Deputy for Enforcement and Execution, Asep Guntur Rahayu, during a press conference at its office on Thursday, 12 March.