The role of multiple individuals aside from Yaqut in the hajj quota corruption case

Jakarta – The announcement that former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas had been detained at the KPK’s Red and White Building State Detention Centre in Jakarta on 12 March has understandably attracted significant public attention in Indonesia.

There has been public appreciation for the Anti-Corruption Commission’s decision to finally detain one of the suspects in the alleged corruption case involving the 2023-2024 hajj quota allocation for Indonesia. However, some citizens have questioned why only Yaqut has been detained, given that the Commission previously identified several other names allegedly involved in the corruption scheme.

This question is both valid and justified to direct at the KPK as the law enforcement body responsible for investigating the hajj quota case.

Therefore, it is now crucial that the KPK continues its investigation into all individuals identified as subjects of these questions within a timeframe that respects public patience. The public must not be left waiting without additional information regarding the progress of the hajj quota corruption investigation.

The other individuals identified are Ishfah Abidal Aziz, alias Gus Alex, who served as Yaqut’s special staff when holding the position of Religious Affairs Minister, as chairman of the Steering Board of the Association of Hajj and Umrah Travel Agencies (SATHU), and as owner of the hajj organising agency Maktour; Fuad Hasan Masyhur; Hilman Latief, who served as Director General of Hajj and Umrah Implementation at the Religious Affairs Ministry from 2023-2024; Rizky Fisa Abadi, who served as Head of the Hajj Special Licensing, Accreditation, and Development Sub-directorate at the Religious Affairs Ministry in 2023; and M Agus Syafi’, who served as Deputy Head of the Hajj Special Licensing, Accreditation, and Development Sub-directorate at the Religious Affairs Ministry in 2024.

The case originated from the conditioning of additional hajj quotas provided by the Saudi Arabian Government, which has had a detrimental impact on applicants for regular Indonesian pilgrimage, many of whom are already on lengthy waiting lists, with some waiting periods extending to 47 years.