Suspect Gus Alex Summoned by Anti-Corruption Commission Today in Hajj Quota Case
JAKARTA — Ishfah Abidal Aziz, known as Gus Alex, the former special staff member of ex-Religion Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, has been summoned by the Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) as a suspect on Tuesday, 17 March 2026, regarding allegations of corruption in the 2023-2024 hajj quota scheme.
The KPK believes that Gus Alex will cooperate and respond to the investigator’s summons relating to the alleged hajj quota corruption case. “Today on Tuesday, investigators have scheduled an examination of IAA, who served as Special Staff to the Religion Minister from 2020 to 2024,” said KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo on Tuesday.
Asep Guntur Rahayu, KPK’s Deputy for Enforcement and Execution, revealed that Gus Alex’s role involved ordering Religion Ministry officials to collect acceleration fees for special hajj pilgrimage from Special Hajj Organisers (PIHK).
The official ordered by Gus Alex was Rizky Fisa Abadi, the former Sub-director of Licensing, Accreditation, and Special Hajj Organisation Development at the Religion Ministry. In 2023, Gus Alex also allegedly ordered Rizky to issue a Directorate General of Hajj Organisation decree regarding expedited pilgrim departures without queuing through the special hajj quota.
“RFA then determined the pilgrim quota for 54 PIHK so pilgrims could depart immediately without queuing. RFA also granted special treatment to certain PIHK to fill additional special hajj quotas with special hajj pilgrims,” Asep stated during a press conference on Thursday, 12 March 2026 evening.
Each pilgrim could depart directly through the additional special hajj quota upon paying an acceleration fee of USD 5,000, approximately 84.4 million rupiah. One method of collecting this fee involved converting regular visa hajj pilgrims into special hajj pilgrims.
This practice contravened Article 64(2) of Law No. 8 of 2019 concerning the Organisation of Hajj and Umrah Pilgrimage, which stipulates that the additional hajj quota should be allocated 92 per cent for regular hajj and 8 per cent for special hajj.
During this period, Gus Alex also allegedly ordered the collection of acceleration fees for special hajj pilgrimage from the PIHK. “IAA ordered Saudara MAS to collect money from the PIHK, which was ultimately charged to prospective special hajj pilgrims, no less than USD 2,500 (approximately 42.2 million rupiah) per pilgrim as a fee or commitment fee or other charges, in order to obtain additional special hajj quotas, also known as T0 or TX quotas,” Asep said.