Yaqut et al. Hajj Case Transferred to Court Simultaneously

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will transfer the case files of former Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs for the 2019-2024 period, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, and his Special Staff member, Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex, to court together with two other suspects from private hajj and umrah bureaus. Consequently, the examination of the alleged corruption case involving additional hajj quotas for 2023-2024 will be conducted simultaneously. The two other suspects are the Operational Director of PT Makassar Toraja (Maktour), Ismail Adham, and the Chairman of the Kesthuri Association who is also a Commissioner of PT Raudah Eksati Utama, Asrul Azis Taba, who was only detained on 8 June. “Because the plan is indeed in accordance with the results of our agreement with the Public Prosecutor’s team, the Investigators and the Public Prosecutors, the transfer to trial will be carried out together,” said Acting Director of KPK Investigation Achmad Taufik Husein at his office in Jakarta on Thursday evening (11/6). To that end, Taufik explained that investigators are currently accelerating the case file completion, including by examining witnesses, one of whom was Yaqut on 2 June. “So, this is indeed being accelerated,” he said. All four suspects have been detained in State Detention Centres. The KPK stated it will transfer the suspects’ case files to the Public Prosecutor for the subsequent drafting of an indictment in the near future. After that, the Public Prosecutor will submit the indictment along with evidence to the Corruption Court for examination and trial. During the ongoing investigation, the KPK identified more than 300 travel bureaus involved in the additional hajj quota. A number of travel bureaus were hesitant to provide information regarding the practice of buying and selling additional hajj quotas. The KPK is applying Article 2 paragraph (1) and/or Article 3 of the Corruption Eradication Law in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) 1st of the Criminal Code or as referred to in Article 603 or Article 604 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 20 letter (c) of the Criminal Code Law. These articles relate to state financial losses. Based on calculations by the audit team of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), the alleged corruption case involving additional hajj quotas for 2023-2024 is suspected of causing state financial losses amounting to Rp622 billion.