KPK States Yaqut Received Hajj Acceleration Fees, Pilgrims Departed Directly Without Queuing

The Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has stated that former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas allegedly received fees for accelerating hajj pilgrimages. Through these fees, hajj pilgrims who registered could depart in the same year without queuing.

The case originated from Rizky Fisa Abadi (RFA), a sub-director for licensing, accreditation, and special hajj operations at the Religious Affairs Ministry, who issued a Directorate General of Special Hajj Services Decision in 2023. Subsequently, Yaqut’s former special assistant, Ishfah Abidal Aziz (IAA), also known as Gus Alex, instructed Rizky to relax policies regarding T0/TX arrangements—pilgrims who had just registered but could depart directly for hajj.

Between May and June 2023, Rizky held meetings with the Association of Special Hajj Pilgrimage Organisers (PIHK) concerning the absorption of an additional 640 special hajj pilgrim quota.

“Rizky Fisa subsequently allocated pilgrim quotas to 54 PIHK organisations, enabling them to depart directly without queuing. Rizky also provided special treatment to certain PIHK organisations to fill the additional special hajj quota with T0 or TX (accelerated/out-of-order) special hajj pilgrims,” stated Asep Guntur Rahayu, KPK Deputy for Enforcement and Execution, during a press conference on Thursday, 12 March 2026.

“Subsequently, Rizky instructed his staff to collect acceleration fees from PIHK for filling the additional special hajj quota receiving T0 or TX arrangements, valued at USD 5,000 or approximately IDR 84.4 million per pilgrim,” he added.

One method employed, according to Asep, involved transferring hajj pilgrim visas from regular hajj (mujamalah) to special hajj arrangements.

From the acceleration fees paid by hajj pilgrims, Rizky also distributed payments to Yaqut and Gus Alex.

“Based on KPK investigative findings, Rizky also provided these acceleration fees to YCQ, IAA, and several officials at the Religious Affairs Ministry,” Asep stated.

In this case, the KPK has named Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and his former special assistant, Ishfah Abidal Aziz (IAA), also known as Gus Alex, as suspects. Both are allegedly in violation of Article 2, paragraph (1), or Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Corruption Crimes, in conjunction with Article 55, paragraph (1), clause 1 of the Indonesian Criminal Code.