KPK summons Khalid Basalamah as witness in hajj quota case

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has summoned preacher and owner of the hajj travel agency PT Zahra Oto Mandiri, also known as Uhud Tour, Khalid Zeed Abdullah Basalamah (KB) as a witness in the alleged corruption case involving hajj quotas.

“Indeed, today the investigators have scheduled Mr KB as one of the parties from PIHK (organisers of special hajj pilgrimage),” said KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo at the KPK’s Red and White Building in Jakarta.

Budi explained that Khalid Basalamah has been summoned by the KPK to further examine issues related to the buying and selling or filling of special hajj pilgrimage quotas originating from the allocation of additional hajj quotas.

Previously, on 9 August 2025, the KPK initiated an investigation into the alleged corruption case concerning Indonesia’s hajj quotas for 2023-2024.

On 9 January 2026, the KPK named former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and Ishfah Abidal Aziz, alias Gus Alex, as suspects.

Meanwhile, Fuad Hasan Masyhur, owner of the hajj organiser Maktour, was not named as a suspect, although he was once banned from leaving the country.

Subsequently, on 12 March 2026, the KPK detained Yaqut at the KPK’s Red and White Building branch state detention centre, followed by the detention of Ishfah on 17 March 2026.

The KPK temporarily changed Yaqut’s detention status to house arrest on 19 March 2026 at the family’s request, but re-detained him at the KPK detention centre on 24 March 2026.

On 30 March 2026, the KPK named two new suspects, namely Maktour’s Operations Director Ismail Adham and Chairman of the Indonesian Hajj and Umrah Travel Agency Association (Kesthuri) Asrul Aziz Taba.

We believe the witness will certainly cooperate by attending the investigators’ summons and providing the necessary testimony.