Hajj Quota Corruption Suspect Asrul Azis Files Pretrial Motion Against KPK

The chairman of Kesthuri, Asrul Azis Taba, has filed a pretrial motion at the South Jakarta District Court. The motion challenges his suspect designation by the Corruption Eradication Commission in the 2023–2024 hajj quota corruption case. “We submitted this pretrial petition to examine whether the act of naming our client a suspect and detaining him was carried out in accordance with criminal procedure law, based on valid evidence, through correct procedures, and while respecting our client’s legal rights,” said Asrul’s legal counsel team member, Rhama Rizky Vianto, in a written statement on Tuesday. He stated the petition was filed to test the legality of his client’s suspect designation and detention, noting that his client never received a notification of the commencement of investigation from the KPK. “We respect the KPK’s authority in eradicating corruption. However, every coercive measure must still be conducted lawfully. Law enforcement must not ignore the principle of due process of law, the presumption of innocence, and the right to fair legal certainty,” Rhama said. The legal team also questioned the two pieces of valid evidence used as the basis for naming their client a suspect, arguing that the evidence should have existed before 30 March 2026, been legally obtained, and directly pointed to their client’s alleged role. They highlighted that their client was never examined prior to being named a suspect and raised concerns about an investigation warrant issued by the KPK on the same date as the suspect determination decree. “An investigation should be a process of seeking and gathering evidence to clarify a criminal act and find its suspect. If the investigation warrant and suspect determination were issued on the same date, while our client did not receive the notification and was never previously examined, it is questionable whether the suspect determination was born from an objective investigation or was predetermined,” he stated. The KPK previously detained Asrul alongside another suspect, the operational director of PT Makassar Toraja, Ismail Adham. Both were detained for an initial 20-day period starting from 8 to 27 June 2026 at the KPK’s detention centre. The KPK alleges that the suspects, along with officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, orchestrated the allocation of additional special hajj quotas for companies affiliated with Maktour, the NRA Group, or the Kesthuri Association, enabling travel agencies to offer expedited or queue-free hajj quota schemes. The KPK stated that PT Makassar Toraja obtained illegal gains of approximately Rp 27.8 billion in 2024 from these actions. In this hajj quota corruption case, the KPK has named four suspects: former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, former special staff member Ishfah Abidal Azis, Ismail Adham, and Asrul Azis Taba.