Former Religious Affairs Ministry Special Staff Allegedly Extorted Pilgrims for Rp42.2 Million for Fast-Track Access

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has exposed fraudulent practices in hajj pilgrimage administration involving senior Religious Affairs Ministry officials. Former Special Staff to the Religious Affairs Minister, Ishfah Abidal Azis (IAA), known as Gus Alex, allegedly charged prospective pilgrims an additional US$2,500, equivalent to approximately Rp42.2 million, to accelerate their departure.

KPK’s Deputy for Prosecution and Execution, Asep Guntur Rahayu, explained that the money was demanded as a commitment fee to gain access to additional quota allocated by the Saudi Arabian Government.

“At least US$2,500 (Rp42.2 million) per pilgrim as a fee, commitment fee, or other charges,” Asep stated at the KPK’s Red and White Building in South Jakarta on Thursday, 12 March.

In executing this scheme, Ishfah allegedly instructed M Abus Syafi’i (MAS), Head of the Special Hajj Licensing, Accreditation, and Development Subdivision, to collect money from pilgrims through Special Hajj Pilgrimage Operators (PIHK) or travel agencies.

The suspects used specific codes to categorise pilgrims willing to pay the bribe. The objective was to place pilgrims in the “T0 Quota” or “TX” list, which represents a fast-track route outside the official queue.

“The money was collected from February to June 2024. Travel agencies then charged pilgrims this cost as part of specially priced packages,” Asep added.

The case originated from Saudi Arabia’s allocation of an additional 20,000 hajj quotas to reduce Indonesia’s lengthy pilgrimage queue. However, this allocation was allegedly misappropriated.

According to regulations, the additional quota should be divided 92% for regular hajj and 8% for special hajj. In reality, Religious Affairs Ministry officials divided the allocation equally at 50% for each category, creating an opportunity for quota commercialisation.

In this case, the KPK has designated former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (YCQ) and Ishfah Abidal Azis as suspects. Multiple witnesses from Religious Affairs Ministry officials to travel service providers, including Islamic teacher Khalid Basalamah, have been questioned to investigate the flow of illicit funds.