KPK States US$406,000 from Asrul Allegedly Intended for DPR Special Committee
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has stated that US$406,000 from Asrul Azis Taba (ASR) to Ishfah Abidal Azis, also known as Gus Alex (IAA), is suspected to be part of a US$1 million fund prepared for the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) Special Committee on Hajj.
“The amount of US$406,000 was a small portion of the US$1 million,” said the Acting Director of Investigations at the KPK, Achmad Taufik Husein, at the KPK Red and White Building in Jakarta on Monday night.
Previously, Asrul served as the General Chairman of the Indonesian Hajj and Umrah Tour Travel Union (Kesthuri), while Ishfah served as a Special Staff member to Yaqut Cholil Qoumas during his tenure as Minister of Religious Affairs. Both Asrul and Ishfah, along with Yaqut, have been named suspects by the KPK in relation to alleged corruption regarding the Hajj quota.
Taufik explained that the KPK received information that the US$1 million was prepared by parties within the Ministry of Religious Affairs for the DPR Hajj Special Committee, but the transfer was never completed. “This means the intention was there, but the handover from the Special Committee side did not occur,” he said.
He noted that this information was obtained from several witnesses in the Hajj quota case, including ZA, who was previously identified as an intermediary for the flow of funds from the Ministry of Religious Affairs to the DPR Hajj Special Committee. The KPK is currently investigating other parties who may have knowledge of this US$1 million fund.
The KPK commenced its investigation into the alleged corruption of the 2023-2024 Indonesian Hajj quota on 9 August 2025. On 9 January 2026, the KPK named former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and his special staff, Ishfah Abidal Aziz, as suspects.
While Fuad Hasan Masyhur, the owner of the Maktour Hajj agency, was not named a suspect despite being subject to a travel ban, the KPK received an audit from the Audit Board of Indonesia (BPK) on 27 February 2026, which estimated state losses at Rp622 billion.
Following the investigation, Yaqut was detained on 12 March 2026, and Ishfah was detained on 17 March 2026. On 30 March 2026, the KPK named two additional suspects: Maktour’s Operational Director, Ismail Adham, and the former Chairman of Kesthuri, Asrul Aziz Taba, both of whom have been in detention since 8 June 2026.