State Losses in Hajj Quota Case Serve as Gateway for KPK to Ensnare Other Suspects

The Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has announced a final calculation of total state losses in the hajj quota corruption case amounting to IDR 622 billion. The KPK stated that this calculation will serve as a gateway to identify potential additional suspects in the matter.

“Certainly, from this calculation we can identify which parties were involved and how the figure of 622 billion arose,” KPK Deputy for Prosecution and Enforcement Asep Guntur Rahayu told journalists at KPK headquarters in South Jakarta on Saturday (14 March 2026).

“This will also serve as a reference for us investigators regarding the imposition of replacement funds and the like. So we are awaiting further developments concerning suspects from the private sector,” he added.

Asep stated that the KPK had already communicated the roles of various parties, including private sector actors, during the detention press conference of former Religious Affairs Minister (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (YCQ). To date, Asep said, investigators continue to gather evidence and facts to uncover the involvement of other parties with potential to be named as suspects.

“The roles of the other parties were already presented at the detention press conference of Mr YCQ. Of course, we are still completing the sufficiency of evidence. This will be presented later,” Asep said.

It is known that during Yaqut’s detention press conference, the KPK revealed the role of Maktour travel owner Fuad Hasan Masyhur in the hajj quota corruption case. Fuad allegedly wrote to Yaqut requesting that travel agencies handling hajj and umrah remain eligible for special hajj quotas from the additional allocation obtained by Indonesia during the 2023-2024 period.

Asep explained that the issue of distributing supplementary hajj quotas in 2023 began with a letter submitted by Fuad as Chairman of the Board of Advisors for the Silaturahmi Forum of the Hajj and Umrah Travel Association (SATHU), requesting allocation to maximise the absorption of additional quota. At that time, Indonesia received an additional 8,000 hajj quota designated for regular hajj allocation.

However, Fuad believed the travel association could maximise usage of the additional quota by requesting the Religious Affairs Ministry to allocate the supplementary quota for special hajj. As a result, the 8,000 additional quota was divided into 92 per cent for regular hajj and 8 per cent for special hajj.

“Fuad Hasan Masyhur subsequently communicated with Hilman Latief (HL), Director General of Hajj and Umrah Implementation (PHU), regarding the SATHU Forum letter stating that SATHU was ready to maximise absorption of the additional quota,” Asep explained during a press conference at KPK headquarters in South Jakarta on Thursday (12 March).

Asep stated that Hilman Latief proposed to Yaqut that the additional hajj quota be divided into 92 per cent regular quota and 8 per cent special quota. This quota distribution differed from the conclusion reached in the parliament meeting at that time.

“YCQ subsequently approved this proposal by issuing Religious Affairs Ministry Decision (KMA) number 467 of 2023 on 19 May 2023 regarding the determination of additional hajj quota for 2023 with a composition of 7,360 quota for regular and 640 quota for special hajj,” he continued.

Ultimately, Yaqut’s proposal based on Fuad’s request was approved by parliament. Subsequently, Yaqut through his former special staff (Stafsus) Ishfah Abidal Aziz (IAA), also known as Gus Alex, immediately issued a Director General PHU Decision for 2023, which was drafted by Rizky Fisa Abadi (RFA) as former Sub-director of Licensing, Accreditation, and Development of Special Hajj Implementation at the Religious Affairs Ministry.

However, it appears Gus Alex conveyed a message asking Rizky to relax special hajj registration policies so registrants could depart immediately in the same year without waiting in queues. Gus Alex also ordered Rizky to collect acceleration fees from special hajj organisers (PIHK) to fill the additional special hajj quota with accelerated departure amounting to USD 5,000 or approximately IDR 84.4 million per pilgrim.

“One way to do this was to redirect visa-free hajj pilgrims into the special hajj category,” Asep said.

In the 2024 hajj year, the same pattern was applied by Yaqut to accommodate the request for additional special hajj quota, which was again requested by Fuad Hasan. The two met in November 2023 alongside several executives from the PIHK association.

“The meeting discussed, among other things, SATHU Forum’s request to manage additional special hajj quota of more than 8 per cent,” Asep explained.

Following up on the meeting, Yaqut conveyed to Hilman Latief his desire to divide the additional 20,000 quota on a 50:50 basis. As a result, the additional special hajj quota would become 10,000 and the additional regular hajj quota would be 10,000.

“YCQ also requested HL to draft a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the proposal for additional hajj quota on a 50:50 sharing basis. Subsequently, YCQ ordered a simulation to be conducted that could serve as justification or basis for changing the composition of additional quota to 10,000 regular hajj and 10,000 special hajj,” Asep elaborated.

Asep disclosed that Yaqut received fees for the 2023 and 2024 hajj operation periods. These fees were each received by Yaqut after agreeing to the allocation and acceleration of special hajj departures without queue queuing.

Asep explained that during the 2023 hajj period, the acceleration fee from PIHK for filling the additional special hajj quota was valued at USD 5,000 or IDR 84.4 million per pilgrim. One method involved redirecting visa-free hajj pilgrims to the special hajj category.

“Based on KPK team examination results, RFA also provided acceleration fees to YCQ, IAA and several officials at the Religious Affairs Ministry,” Asep said.

For the 2024 period, the fee value was agreed at USD 2,000 or approximately IDR 33.8 million per pilgrim. The collection of these fees took place between February and June 2024.