KPK Has Examined ZA, Intermediary in Money Flow from Yaqut to Hajj Special Committee

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has examined a witness with the initials ZA, who is suspected of being the intermediary in the flow of money related to the alleged Hajj quota corruption from former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas to the 2024 DPR RI Hajj Special Inquiry Committee.

“Regarding the US$1 million that was returned, the facts we have found confirm that there is indeed a witness named ZA who acted as the intermediary for handing over the money to Pansus members. We have also conducted an examination,” said Acting Director of Investigations at the KPK, Achmad Taufik Husein, during a press conference at the KPK office in Jakarta on Monday evening (13/4).

Taufik explained that the money remained in ZA’s possession until it was seized by investigators.

“So far, what we have delved into and what is recorded in the minutes is that it had not yet been used. In other words, there were still discussions because this was ongoing talks. And indeed, the suspect Yaqut did not attend the Pansus, so this is a fact we found: it was still held by Mr ZA,” Taufik stated.

“Then we took steps to secure the evidence, so the money has been seized by us,” he added.

When asked about examining Hajj Pansus members, Taufik said it depends on the needs of the investigation.

“Whether Pansus members need to be summoned, that depends on the investigation’s requirements. But we assure you that from the preliminary investigation stage, we have used the results sent by Pansus. So, we have studied the Pansus documents since the preliminary investigation,” Taufik explained.

“Thus, the investigators, because from the preliminary investigation at the KPK the investigators were already involved, so we know what Pansus produced. In other words, we know the dynamics within Pansus,” he said.

Response from DPR Commission VIII

Regarding the alleged money flow from Yaqut to the Hajj Special Inquiry Committee, Chairman of DPR Commission VIII Marwan Dasopang previously claimed ignorance of the KPK’s findings.

Speaking to reporters on 13 March, Marwan said his side was merely carrying out the pansus, which was then led by PKB General Chairman Muhaimin Iskandar.

“I don’t know about that. I don’t know. I was just carrying out my Pansus duties,” Marwan said at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Friday (13/3).

Marwan, also a PKB politician, expressed surprise at the KPK’s findings on the alleged fund flow in the case now implicating former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas. He said he was focused on carrying out pansus tasks, gathering findings based on investigations in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

“It wasn’t easy to obtain that data. From that data came the conclusions submitted to the law enforcement agencies, I think,” Marwan said.

The pansus findings at the time revealed, among other things, alleged violations in the distribution of the 2023 additional Hajj quota. Instead of the stipulated 92 per cent for regular Hajj and 8 per cent for special Hajj, it became 50 per cent each.

According to the KPK, there was an alleged fee demanded by Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (YCQ) of around US$4,000-5,000 (Rp67.5 million-Rp84.4 million) from PIHK or travel agents. This fee was then passed on to the pilgrims.

In the process, when information emerged that the DPR would form a Hajj Special Committee around July 2024, Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex, as Yaqut’s special staff, instructed the Deputy Director to return the collected fees to the associations or PIHK.

However, according to the KPK, some of the fee money was allegedly still held and used for Yaqut’s personal interests.

The KPK revealed that the money still with Yaqut was allegedly used to influence the artificial Hajj Pansus of the DPR RI, which Yaqut knew or was aware of.

Four Suspects

In this Hajj quota case, the KPK has named four suspects.

The suspects are Yaqut, his special staff Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex, Operational Director of PT Makassar Toraja (Maktour) Ismail Adham, and Commissioner of PT Raudah Eksati Utama as well as Chairman of the Kesthuri Association, Asrul Azis Taba.

However, only Yaqut and Ishfah have been detained at the KPK Detention Centre.

In handling this case, the KPK is using Article 2 paragraph (1) and/or Article 3 of the Corruption Eradication Law (UU Tipikor) in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) first of the Criminal Code or as referred to in Article 603 or Article 604 of Law Number 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 20 letter (c) of the Criminal Code Law. These articles relate to state financial losses.

Based on calculations by the Audit Board of Indonesia (BPK) audit team, the alleged corruption in the 2023-2024 Hajj quota case is estimated to have caused state financial losses of Rp622 billion.