MAKI Calls for Investigation into Rp600 Billion from Hajj Quota Corruption Case
The Coordinator of the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI), Boyamin Sulaiman, has endorsed the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) decision to detain former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas in connection with alleged corruption relating to hajj administration.
Boyamin stated that the detention aligns with MAKI’s earlier calls to the anti-corruption agency. “I have consistently requested that the KPK detain Yaqut from the outset. Now that he has been detained, we support this. We had already prepared ourselves for a pre-trial motion if he had not been detained,” he said.
According to Boyamin, the detention is crucial for accelerating the legal process and clarifying the course of the investigation. He also noted that MAKI would have pursued legal action had the KPK failed to formally establish Yaqut as a suspect.
Whilst appreciating the decision, Boyamin stressed that the investigation must not end with the establishment of suspects. He urged investigators to trace potential fund flows allegedly connected to the case. “We support and appreciate this decision, and specifically regarding Yaqut, I actually believe money laundering charges should be applied to other perpetrators involved in laundering money,” he said.
According to Boyamin, there is currently no evidence that Yaqut directly received funds from the case. However, he believes investigators must conduct a more thorough investigation into who actually benefited from the alleged fund flows, which he claims could total hundreds of billions of rupiah.
He particularly highlighted the alleged flow of approximately Rp600 billion, which he believes requires deeper investigation. “But if this process continues, there is money of around Rp600 billion—who benefited from it, and can it still be traced?” Boyamin asked.
According to him, if the fund flows cannot be directly traced to the primary perpetrators, investigators can employ a money laundering approach to identify those who benefited from the proceeds of the crime. “If it cannot be traced directly, then money laundering charges must be applied,” Boyamin concluded.