Maktour CEO Laughs Off Allegations of Illegal Gain from Hajj Quotas

The President Director of PT Makassar Toraja (Maktour), Fuad Hasan Masyhur, merely laughed when asked to confirm that his company allegedly received illegal gains amounting to Rp27.8 billion from additional hajj quotas in 2023-2024. Fuad completed his examination as a witness at around 2:40 PM WIB. He also denied the involvement of his subordinate, Maktour’s Director of Operations Ismail Adham, who has been detained by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). “That’s your words,” Fuad said at the KPK’s Red and White Building in Jakarta on Thursday (18/6). Fuad also claimed to know nothing about the alleged flow of hajj quota funds to the House of Representatives’ Special Committee on the Hajj Inquiry in 2024. “I definitely do not understand at all,” Fuad admitted. Fuad, who also serves as a Board Advisor for the Forum Sathu (Forum for the Association of Hajj and Umrah Travel Organisers), stated that his presence today was a form of responsibility to provide testimony. “Thank you. I am fulfilling my responsibility to give testimony,” he said. This was a rescheduled examination after he failed to appear on 15 and 2 June 2026. On 2 June, Fuad reasoned that he was still in Saudi Arabia performing the hajj pilgrimage. He requested a reschedule, which was agreed for 15 June 2026. However, on that date, Fuad wrote to investigators asking for the agenda to be rearranged due to declining health. Fuad’s examination is intended to complete the case files for four suspects: former Religious Affairs Minister for the 2019-2024 period, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas; his Special Staff, Ishfaf Abidal Aziz, also known as Gus Alex; Maktour’s Director of Operations, Ismail Adham; and the Chairman of the Kesthuri Association, who is also a Commissioner of PT Raudah Eksati Utama, Asrul Azis Taba, who was detained on 8 June. The KPK stated it will transfer the suspects’ case files to the Corruption Court simultaneously. During the investigation, the KPK has identified more than 300 travel agencies involved in the additional hajj quotas. Several travel agencies have been hesitant to provide information regarding the practice of buying and selling additional hajj quotas. The KPK is applying Article 2 paragraph (1) and/or Article 3 of the Corruption Eradication Law in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code, or as referred to in Article 603 or Article 604 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 20 letter (c) of the Criminal Code Law. These articles relate to state financial losses. Based on calculations by the audit team of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), the alleged corruption case involving additional hajj quotas for 2023-2024 is estimated to have caused state financial losses amounting to Rp622 billion.