Prosecutors: Yaqut Prepared USD 1 Million to Influence Hajj Special Committee

Jakarta - Prosecutors from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) have stated that former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas allegedly prepared USD 1 million to influence the outcome of the House of Representatives’ (DPR) Hajj Inquiry Special Committee (Pansus Angket Haji) in 2024. “The money was prepared through Ishfah Abidal Aziz, also known as Gus Alex, and Muhammad Nuruzzaman, who served as special aides to the defendant,” said KPK Prosecutor Fahmy Idris while reading the indictment at the Corruption Court in Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday.

In the indictment, the prosecutor stated that Yaqut, who served as Religious Affairs Minister from 2020 to 2024, also held meetings with several officials and special aides from the Ministry of Religious Affairs. According to the prosecutor, the meetings discussed, among other things, responses to questions anticipated from the Hajj Inquiry Special Committee, including the rationale for dividing the additional 2024 hajj quota of 20,000 into 50 percent for regular hajj and 50 percent for special hajj.

In its report, the Special Committee highlighted the distribution of the additional quota and suspected non-compliance with the provisions of Law Number 8 of 2019 concerning the Organisation of the Hajj and Umrah Pilgrimage. In the alleged corruption case involving the 2023-2024 hajj quotas, prosecutors charged Yaqut with actions resulting in state financial losses of approximately Rp622.09 billion.

Prosecutors charged Yaqut with diverting and arranging the distribution of the additional 2024 special hajj quota by 50 percent without prior technical assessment. According to the indictment, the state losses of Rp622.09 billion stemmed, among other things, from the difference between revenue and expenditure for the special hajj pilgrimage organiser on the departure of pilgrims deemed ineligible, amounting to Rp438.22 billion. Additionally, prosecutors calculated revenue from the sale of 2024 special hajj officer quotas at Rp39.95 billion, as well as costs for accelerating the filling of additional special hajj quotas for 2023 and 2024 totalling Rp143.92 billion. Prosecutors also charged Yaqut with receiving benefits worth USD 271,500, or approximately Rp4.83 billion, in the case.