KPK Continues Investigating Maktour Boss Fuad's Role Following Arrest of Former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will again summon Maktour Travel or the Association Forum of Hajj and Umrah Travel (SATHU) to further investigate the hajj quota corruption case for 2023-2024.

“Investigators will conduct further summons to the private sector, including Maktour or the SATHU association,” KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo told reporters at the Red and White KPK building in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Tuesday (17 March 2026).

Budi explained that the summons of private sector parties were intended to probe the role of Maktour Travel owner and SATHU Forum Steering Committee member Fuad Hasan Masyhur (FHM). He urged the private parties to be cooperative when called.

“To investigate the role of Mr FHM in the process of distributing additional hajj quotas. We urge those who are summoned to be cooperative and provide honest statements,” Budi said.

Previously, the KPK had revealed the role of Maktour Travel owner Fuad Hasan Masyhur in connection with the hajj quota corruption case that ensnared former Religious Affairs Minister (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (YCQ). Fuad was said to have written to Yaqut requesting that hajj and umrah travel agencies continue to receive special hajj quotas from the additional quotas obtained by Indonesia for the 2023-2024 period.

KPK Deputy for Enforcement and Execution Asep Guntur Rahayu explained that the problem of distributing additional hajj quotas in 2023 began with a letter submitted by Fuad as Steering Committee of the Association Forum of Hajj and Umrah Travel (SATHU) requesting allocation to maximise the absorption of additional quotas. At that time, Indonesia received an additional 8,000 hajj quotas designated for regular quota.

However, Fuad believed the travel association could maximise the use of additional quotas by requesting the Religious Affairs Ministry (Kemenag) to divide the additional quotas for special hajj. As a result, the additional 8,000 quotas were divided with a percentage of 92% for regular hajj and 8% for special hajj.

“FHM then communicated with HL (Hilman Latief) as Director General of Hajj and Umrah Implementation (PHU), regarding the SATHU Forum Letter stating that SATHU Forum was ready to maximise absorption of the additional quota,” Asep explained at a KPK press conference in South Jakarta on Thursday (12 March).

Asep stated that Hilman Latief proposed to Yaqut that the additional hajj quota be divided into 92% regular quota and 8% special quota. This quota differed from the conclusion reached in the parliamentary meeting at that time.

“YCQ then approved the proposal by issuing Religious Affairs Ministry Decree (KMA) number 467 of 2023 on 19 May 2023 on the Determination of additional hajj quota for 2023 with a composition of 7,360 quotas for regular and 640 quotas for special hajj,” he continued.

Ultimately, Yaqut’s proposal, based on the request letter from Fuad, was approved by parliament. After that, Yaqut through his former special staff (Stafsus) Ishfah Abidal Aziz (IAA), also known as Gus Alex, promptly issued a 2023 Director General PHU Decision, which was then drafted by Rizky Fisa Abadi (RFA) as former Sub-director of Licensing, Accreditation and Development of Special Hajj Implementation at the Religious Affairs Ministry.

However, it turns out Gus Alex left a message asking Rizky to relax the policy regarding special hajj registrants so they could depart directly in the same year they registered, without queuing. Gus Alex also ordered Rizky to collect acceleration fees from special hajj organisers (PIHK) to fill additional special hajj quotas receiving accelerated departures valued at USD 5,000 or approximately IDR 84.4 million per pilgrim.

“One way was by converting visa mujamalah hajj pilgrims into special hajj,” Asep said.

In the 2024 hajj season, the same pattern was again applied by Yaqut to accommodate the request for additional special hajj quotas, which was again requested by Fuad Hasan. The two met in November 2023 together with several officials from the PIHK association.

“The meeting discussed, among other things, SATHU Forum’s request to manage additional special hajj quotas exceeding 8%,” Asep explained.

Following up on that meeting, Yaqut conveyed to Hilman Latief about the desire to divide 20,000 additional quotas into 50:50. As a result, the additional special hajj quota became 10,000 and the additional regular hajj quota became 10,000.

“YCQ also requested HL to draft a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the proposal for additional hajj quotas with a 50:50 division scheme. Subsequently, YCQ ordered that a simulation be conducted which could serve as justification or basis for changing the composition of additional quotas to 10,000 regular hajj and 10,000 special hajj,” Asep explained.

Asep conveyed that Yaqut received fees for the 2023 and 2024 hajj pilgrimage departure periods. The fees were each received by Yaqut after agreeing to the division and acceleration of special hajj departures without queuing.

Asep explained that during the 2023 hajj period, the acceleration fee from PIHK for filling additional special hajj quotas was valued at USD 5,000 or approximately IDR 84.4 million per pilgrim. One method was by converting visa mujamalah hajj pilgrims into special hajj.

“Based on the KPK investigation team’s findings, RFA also provided acceleration fees to YCQ, IAA and several officials at the Religious Affairs Ministry,” Asep said.

Whilst for the 2024 period, the fee was agreed at USD 2,000 or approximately IDR 33.8 million per pilgrim. The provision and collection of these fees was carried out during February to June 2024.