KPK Reveals Role of Gus Alex, Former Special Aide to Ex-Religion Minister, in Hajj Quota Corruption Case

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has revealed the role of Ishfah Abidal Aziz (IAA), alias Gus Alex, former special aide to ex-Religion Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, in a hajj quota corruption case. According to the KPK, Gus Alex instructed officials at the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) to collect fees from Special Hajj Organisers (PIHK) after they were provided with enlarged special hajj quotas drawn from additional regular hajj allocations.

KPK Deputy for Prosecution and Execution Asep Guntur Rahayu explained that in 2023, Gus Alex ordered Rizky Fisa Abadi (RFA), former Head of Subdivision for Licensing, Accreditation, and Development of Special Hajj Operations at Kemenag, to issue a Director-General Decision regarding policy flexibility to accelerate pilgrim departures, allowing them to depart without queuing through the provided special hajj quota.

“RFA subsequently allocated pilgrim quotas among 54 Special Hajj Organisers, enabling direct departures without waiting. RFA also granted special treatment to certain organisers to fill additional special hajj quotas with special hajj pilgrims,” Asep stated during a press conference at KPK headquarters in South Jakarta on Thursday (12 March 2026).

According to Asep, RFA then instructed his staff to collect acceleration fees from Special Hajj Organisers for the additional special hajj quota allocations with expedited departures, valued at USD 5,000 or approximately Rp84.4 million per pilgrim. One method involved converting mujamalah visa hajj pilgrims into special hajj pilgrims to collect these fees.

“Based on KPK investigation findings, RFA also distributed these acceleration fees to Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Gus Alex, and several Religion Ministry officials,” Asep stated.

A similar pattern recurred in 2024. Gus Alex again coordinated with a Director of Hajj Services at the Directorate-General of Hajj and Umrah to create simulations dividing additional quotas equally at 50% each for regular and special hajj. However, the 20,000 additional quotas that year should have been split at 98 percent for regular hajj and 2 percent for special hajj.

“In early January 2024, Gus Alex summoned staff from the Directorate for Development of Umrah and Special Hajj, including the Head of Subdivision for Licensing, Accreditation, and Development of Special Hajj Operations, to his office,” Asep said.

“Gus Alex directed them to collect acceleration fees and appointed a coordinator to manage fee money from associations and Special Hajj Organisers. The agreed fee was USD 2,000 or approximately Rp33.8 million per pilgrim,” he added.

The KPK revealed that Yaqut Cholil Qoumas received fees from the 2023-2024 hajj quota corruption case. The KPK stated that Yaqut received fees after approving the 2023 additional hajj quota distribution proposal. Yaqut received fees for both the 2023 and 2024 hajj periods, having agreed to the distribution and acceleration of special hajj departures without queuing. The 2023 hajj period saw acceleration fees from Special Hajj Organisers valued at USD 5,000 or approximately Rp84.4 million per pilgrim, whilst the 2024 period was set at USD 2,000 or approximately Rp33.8 million per pilgrim. Fee collection occurred between February and June 2024.