Yaqut prepared USD 1 million, KPK may question Ridwan Kamil

Prosecutors from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas allegedly prepared USD 1 million to influence the outcome of the House of Representatives’ Special Committee of Inquiry on Hajj for 2024.

“The money was prepared through Ishfah Abidal Aziz, also known as Gus Alex, and Muhammad Nuruzzaman, who served as special staff to the defendant,” said KPK prosecutor Fahmi Idris while reading the indictment at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday.

In the indictment, prosecutors said Yaqut, who served as Religious Affairs Minister for the 2020–2024 period, also held meetings with a number of officials and special staff at the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Head of the Attorney General’s Office Legal Information Centre Anang Supriatna revealed the reason Rinaldi Umar was not appointed as the new Director of Investigation at the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus).

Speaking at the Attorney General’s Office main building in Jakarta on Tuesday, Anang said the position of Director of Investigation at Jampidsus must be filled by someone experienced and mature in special crimes.

For that reason, the prosecution service filled the position with Saiful Bahri Siregar, who has experience in special crime investigations and is a former head of the Bengkulu High Prosecutor’s Office.

Deputy Chairman of House Commission III Ahmad Sahroni called for hoax provocateurs on social media to be categorised as enemies of the state and therefore to be thoroughly eradicated by the authorities.

He urged firm action against groups indicated to be carrying out organised hoax-spreading practices, including the alleged use of paid third parties to produce content with criminal elements.

“Hoax provocateurs like these must be thoroughly eradicated by the National Police, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, and all related parties. I also ask the police to categorise this as an enemy and threat to the state,” he said in a statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Religious Affairs Minister for the 2020–2024 period Yaqut Cholil Qoumas was charged with causing state financial losses of Rp622.09 billion in connection with the alleged corruption case involving Indonesia’s hajj quota in 2023–2024.

KPK prosecutor Fahmi Idris alleged that Yaqut diverted and arranged the allocation of the additional special hajj quota for 2024 by 50 percent without a technical study basis.

“The defendant also filled the additional special hajj quota for 2023 and 2024 with special hajj pilgrims without a waiting period and special hajj pilgrims with a waiting period of x years not in accordance with the established mechanism,” the prosecutor said while reading the indictment at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has opened the possibility of re-examining former West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil after detaining four suspects in the Bank BJB case.

The case relates to alleged corruption in advertising procurement at PT Bank Pembangunan Daerah Jawa Barat dan Banten (Bank BJB) for the 2021–2023 fiscal years.

“Whether a summons will be issued after this? Yes, of course it depends on the needs of the investigation team,” said Acting Director of Investigation at the KPK Achmad Taufik Husein at the KPK’s Merah Putih building in Jakarta on Monday night (10/8).