KPK Signals Legal Action Against Private Sector in Yaqut Pilgrimage Quota Case

The Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has signalled its intention to pursue legal action against private sector suspects related to an alleged corruption case involving pilgrim quota allocation for the 2023-2024 Hajj season.

Former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and his special staff, Ishfah Abidal Aziz (known as Gus Alex), have been named as suspects by the KPK. Yaqut was detained as of 12 March 2026.

“We await action on private sector suspects, as their roles were already outlined during the press conference regarding the detention of Yaqut Cholil Qoumas,” said Asep Guntur Rahayu, Deputy of Prosecution and Execution at the KPK, when contacted via written message on Sunday, 15 March.

Asep’s statement concerned the recovery of assets from total state financial losses of Rp622 billion, calculated by auditors from Indonesia’s State Audit Board (BPK). Asep could not provide details on the components or indicators of state losses as this fell outside his authority.

“Matters of methodology and such are within the BPK’s authority and the auditors’ domain. These will surely be explained during court proceedings,” he added.

In the case framework presented by the KPK on Thursday, 12 March, one private sector figure implicated was Fuad Hasan Masyhur, Chief Executive of PT Makassar Toraja (Maktour), a pilgrimage travel agency. The KPK alleges evidence was destroyed during its search of the agency’s office.

As Chair of the Steering Board of the Forum of Hajj and Umrah Travel Associations (SATHU), Fuad allegedly “lobbied” the Religious Affairs Ministry regarding the allocation of additional Hajj quotas for 2023-2024 from the Saudi Arabian government.

For 2023, an additional quota of 8,000 pilgrims was allocated. Under an agreement between Parliament and the Religious Affairs Ministry, this quota was divided with 92 per cent for regular Hajj pilgrims (7,360 pilgrims) and 8 per cent for special Hajj pilgrims (640 pilgrims).

The KPK alleges that acceleration fees were charged by Special Hajj Organisers (PIHK) for filling the additional special Hajj quota positions offering T0 (newly registered, immediate departure) or TX (accelerated, out of sequence) assignments, valued at US$5,000 or approximately Rp84.4 million per pilgrim.

One method involved converting visa mujamalah Hajj pilgrims to special Hajj status. Based on KPK investigation findings, Yaqut, Ishfah, and other Religious Affairs Ministry officials received portions of these fees.

For 2024, Indonesia received an additional quota of 20,000 pilgrims from Saudi Arabia, intended to reduce the waiting queue which had reached 47 years. This was obtained during an Indonesia-Saudi Arabia government meeting in October 2023.

During a parliamentary meeting in early November 2023, Yaqut stated that Indonesia’s additional Hajj quota for 2024 would be divided 92 per cent for regular pilgrimages (18,400 pilgrims) and 8 per cent for special pilgrimages (1,600 pilgrims).

As time progressed, Ishfah, on Yaqut’s instruction, communicated that the additional Hajj quota would be divided equally at 50 per cent regular and 50 per cent special.

On Yaqut’s orders, Ishfah allegedly provided technical guidance on the distribution scheme to appear compliant with Law No. 8 of 2019 concerning the Implementation of Hajj and Umrah, which stipulates that special Hajj quotas must be set at 8 per cent of Indonesia’s total Hajj quota, with the remainder allocated for regular pilgrimages.

The Religious Affairs Ministry subsequently held meetings with officials from various PIHK associations grouped under the SATHU Forum.

Regarding the 2024 additional Hajj quota, the KPK alleges Ishfah directed staff at the Directorate of Umrah and Special Hajj Development and, in his capacity as Head of Subdivisions for Licensing, Accreditation, and Special Hajj Development, to collect acceleration fees and appoint someone to coordinate these fees from associations and PIHKs.

The agreed fee was set at US$2,000 or approximately Rp33.8 million per pilgrim.

The KPK also alleges that Ishfah instructed the Head of Subdivisions for Licensing, Accreditation, and Special Hajj Development at the Religious Affairs Ministry, M. Agus Syafi’, to demand monies from PIHKs, which were ultimately passed on to prospective special Hajj pilgrims at a minimum of US$2,500 (approximately Rp42.2 million) per pilgrim as fees, commitment fees, or other charges to obtain additional special Hajj quotas—either T0 or TX quotas.

Collection of these monies occurred between February and June 2024.

This practice of charging fees, commitment fees, or other costs to PIHKs that were passed on to special Hajj pilgrims within package pricing also occurred during the 2023 Hajj season.

For the 2023 additional special Hajj quota allocation, the demanded fees were approximately US$4,000–5,000 (Rp67.5 million to Rp84.4 million) per pilgrim.

When news emerged around July 2024 that Parliament would establish a special Hajj committee (Pansus Haji), Ishfah instructed the subdivision head to return collected fees to associations and PIHKs. However, portions of the collected fees were retained and used for Yaqut’s personal purposes.

The KPK states that the collected fees were also allegedly used to influence the Pansus Haji, with Yaqut’s knowledge.

The allocation of additional Hajj quotas for the 2023-2024 season allegedly also involved the Director General of Hajj and Umrah Implementation (PHU) at the Religious Affairs Ministry, Hilman Latief, and the Head of Subdivisions for Licensing, Accreditation, and Special Hajj Development at the Religious Affairs Ministry, Rizky Fisa Abadi.