Prosecutors Hit Back at Yaqut: Hajj Quota Case Beyond Reasonable Bounds

KPK prosecutors have responded to the challenge filed by former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas in the alleged corruption case concerning additional hajj quotas for 2023-2024. Prosecutors stated that the case involves corruption beyond reasonable bounds. “In this case, the corruption that occurred is beyond reasonable bounds because its impact not only harms state finances with a very large value, namely Rp 622 billion, but also has a broad and massive impact on the fulfilment of citizens’ rights guaranteed by the constitution,” said the KPK prosecutor at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Friday (21/8/2026).

Prosecutors argued that citizens’ rights to exercise their most fundamental right—the right to worship according to their religion and beliefs, specifically for Muslims to perform the hajj pilgrimage to the Holy City of Mecca as guaranteed by Article 29 of the 1945 Constitution—were not fulfilled. Prosecutors stated that this fundamental right was seized due to alleged corrupt practices in the case. “That right has been seized by the lust of a handful of people to accumulate wealth and profit unlawfully by exploiting the high enthusiasm of the Indonesian public to perform the hajj pilgrimage,” the prosecutor said.

Prosecutors said the additional hajj quota was instead used by a handful of people to provide opportunities for financially well-off parties to go on hajj without waiting in the queue. In fact, prosecutors said the additional hajj quota was originally intended to cut the waiting period for regular prospective pilgrims, which has reached 41 years. “Furthermore, in this case a number of facts will be found showing that the additional hajj quota, which was originally intended to cut the waiting period for regular prospective pilgrims that has reached 41 years, was instead used and exploited by a handful of people,” said the KPK prosecutor. “To provide opportunities for parties with established financial means to perform the hajj pilgrimage without waiting in the queue as long as they are able to meet the requirements that have been set,” he continued.

Prosecutors said the case enabled a number of parties to depart for hajj without a waiting period because they paid more money than they should have, namely an acceleration fee to special hajj pilgrimage organisers (PIHK). Prosecutors said the prosecution of this case also seeks to seize all proceeds of the crime and return them to the state. “Ultimately, bringing this case to criminal examination through a series of criminal proceedings so that it can be examined, tried and decided by the panel of judges of the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court is our effort as public prosecutors from the Corruption Eradication Commission to hold accountable the parties responsible for the criminal events that have occurred,” he said.

Previously, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas was charged with causing state losses of Rp 622,090,207,166.41 (Rp 622 billion) in the alleged corruption case concerning additional hajj quotas for 2023-2024. Prosecutors said the acts were carried out by Asrul together with the Chairman of the Kesthuri Association Asrul Azis Taba, Yaqut’s former special staff member Ishfah Abidal Azis alias Gus Alex, and the Operations Director of PT Makassar Toraja (Maktour) Ismail Adham. Prosecutors said the filling of the additional special hajj quota for 2023-2024 carried out by the defendants contravened applicable legal provisions with the aim of accommodating requests from the Association of Special Hajj Pilgrimage Organisers (PIHK).

Prosecutors believe the case enriched Yaqut by USD 271,500, or approximately Rp 4,833,786,000 (Rp 4.8 billion) at current exchange rates. In addition, prosecutors believe the case also enriched a number of other parties including 313 Special Hajj Pilgrimage Organiser (PIHK) corporations. Prosecutors said there were practices of buying and selling special hajj quotas, buying and selling hajj officer quotas, and acceleration fees in this case, resulting in some pilgrims who should have departed failing to do so, while some pilgrims who were not entitled to depart were instead sent.

Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has also filed a challenge against the indictment in the alleged corruption case concerning the distribution of additional special hajj quotas. Yaqut’s lawyer, Mellisa Anggraini, said the prosecutor’s indictment was not careful. “The indictment is not careful and is vague because it ignores the defendant’s attributive authority under Article 9 of Law Number 8 of 2019 as well as the fact that Minister of Religious Affairs Decree Number 130 of 2024 is an operational stipulation derived from the official MoU between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia dated 8 January 2024 which divided 20,000 additional quotas into 10,000 regular and 10,000 special,” said Mellisa Anggraini while reading the challenge at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday (18/8).