KPK Signals New Suspects in Hajj Quota Case

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has stated that it will not cease in designating suspects in the alleged corruption case concerning Hajj quotas. To date, the anti-corruption agency has named four suspects, including former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, in this Hajj quota case at the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) RI for the 2023–2024 period. Besides the former Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs, the other three suspects are former special staff to the Minister of Religious Affairs Isfan Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex, operational director of a Hajj and Umrah travel agency Ismail Adham, and general chairman Kesthuri Asrul Azis Taba. “Of course, this will not stop here because there are clusters involving both the state organisers and the private sector,” said Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the KPK Asep Guntur Rahayu at the KPK’s Red and White Building in Jakarta on Monday (30/3/2026). Therefore, Asep explained, the KPK is currently gathering various pieces of evidence to sufficiently designate new suspects in the Hajj quota case. “We are searching for and collecting evidence so that with sufficient evidence or after sufficient evidence is found, we will also designate them as suspects,” he said. According to Asep, the designation of the two most recent suspects, namely Ismail Adham and Asrul Aziz Taba, represents positive progress. He also appreciated the support from the public for the KPK. “Of course, the investigators are still continuing to complete their investigation files so that they can soon be handed over to the prosecution stage,” he stated. Two clusters Asep explained that the suspects in this alleged Hajj quota corruption case are divided into two clusters. The first cluster relates to the process of determining additional Hajj quotas that do not comply with Article 64 of Law No. 8 of 2019 on the Organisation of Hajj and Umrah Worship. That article regulates the distribution of additional Hajj quotas as 92 per cent for regular Hajj, while eight per cent for special Hajj. “There is a chain of commands for determining the additional Hajj quota to be divided 50 per cent and 50 per cent. So, 50 per cent for regular Hajj and 50 per cent for special Hajj,” he said.