Khalid Basalamah claims no interaction with Yaqut Cholil

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Preacher and owner of the Hajj travel agency PT Zahra Oto Mandiri, or Uhud Tour, Khalid Zeed Abdullah Basalamah claims he has never interacted with one of the suspects in the alleged corruption case regarding Hajj quotas, former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas. “There are names I have never interacted with, such as the former Minister of Religious Affairs and his special staff, whom I do not know,” said Khalid after being questioned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) as a witness in the Hajj quota case at the KPK’s Red and White Building in Jakarta on Thursday. Additionally, the Chairman of the Main Council of Indonesian Hajj and Umrah Travel Associations (Mutiara Haji) claims he has never interacted with the Board of Trustees of the Hajj and Umrah Travel Associations Friendship Forum (SATHU), as well as the owner of the Hajj organiser agency Maktour, Fuad Hasan Masyhur. “No interaction. For matters like this, certainly not,” he said. He also claims not to know two new suspects in the Hajj quota case, namely Maktour’s Operational Director Ismail Adham and the General Chairman of the Indonesian Hajj and Umrah Tour Travel Union (Kesthuri), Asrul Aziz Taba. “Oh no, no,” he said. Previously, on 9 August 2025, the KPK initiated an investigation into the alleged corruption of Indonesia’s Hajj quotas for 2023-2024. On 9 January 2026, the KPK named former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex as suspects. Meanwhile, Fuad Hasan Masyhur, owner of the Hajj organiser agency Maktour, was not named as a suspect, although he was once banned from leaving the country. The KPK then received the results of an audit by the Financial Audit Board (BPK) of the Republic of Indonesia on 27 February 2026, which stated that the state financial losses in the case amounted to Rp622 billion. Subsequently, on 12 March 2026, the KPK detained Yaqut at the KPK’s Red and White Building State Detention House branch, followed by the detention of Ishfah on 17 March 2026. The KPK once shifted Yaqut’s detention status to house arrest on 19 March 2026 at the family’s request, but re-detained him at the KPK Detention House on 24 March 2026. On 30 March 2026, the KPK named two new suspects, namely Maktour’s Operational Director Ismail Adham and the General Chairman of the Indonesian Hajj and Umrah Tour Travel Union (Kesthuri), Asrul Aziz Taba.