March 30, 2026 | 10:23 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has identified two clusters in the alleged corruption surrounding the 2023-2024 haj quota. These clusters involve the allocation of 20,000 additional haj slots provided by the Saudi Arabian government and the subsequent flow of funds to several officials within the Ministry of Religious Affairs linked to the distribution of those quotas.
Asep Guntur Rahayu, the KPK’s Deputy for Enforcement and Execution, stated that private entities collected money from haj travel organizers before handing it over to specific individuals within the Ministry.
"The money was collected by private parties. In this case, the owners or haj travel organizers, and then handed over to individuals in the Ministry of Religious Affairs," Asep explained at the KPK’s Red and White Building in South Jakarta on Monday, March 30, 2026.
Asep noted that the KPK uncovered these two clusters as the investigation expanded. Following this development, the commission named two new suspects: Ismail Adham, the Operational Director of haj travel organizer Maktour, and Asrul Azis Taba, the Commissioner of PT Raudah Eksati Utama and Chairperson of the Indonesian Association of Hajj and Umrah Tour Travel Agencies (Kesthuri).
"We are focusing on asset recovery because we have identified the flow of funds from private parties to individuals within the Ministry of Religious Affairs," he said.
Asep revealed that the payments from private entities to Ministry officials occurred in stages. Thus, the KPK is concentrating its probe on haj and umrah travel bureaus as the primary collectors and distributors of these funds. "As of now, the number of suspects designated in this case has reached four," he added.
Asep further detailed the roles of the two new suspects concerning the irregular arrangement of additional special haj quotas. Both are suspected of orchestrating quota allocations for haj and umrah companies affiliated with Maktour in a manner that bypassed prevailing laws and regulations. He explained that Ismail and Asrul collaborated with the Ministry to secure these extra slots, including those under an accelerated departure scheme known as T0.
The KPK alleges that Ismail provided US$30,000 to Ishfah Abidal Aziz, alias Alex, the former special staff to then-Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, and handed US$5,000 plus 16,000 Saudi riyals to Hilman Latief, the Ministry's Director General of Hajj and Umrah Organizers. As a result of these transactions, Maktour is suspected of reaping illicit gains totaling approximately Rp27.8 trillion in 2024.
Meanwhile, Asrul is suspected of giving US$406,000 to Alex. Asep mentioned that eight Special Haj Worship Organizers (PIHK) affiliated with Asrul also allegedly obtained illicit gains of Rp40.8 trillion in 2024. "The receipt of these sums by IAA and HL from the suspects allegedly represents the interests of brother YCQ, who served as the Minister of Religious Affairs at the time," Asep stated.
The KPK has also named Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and Ishfah Abidal Aziz as suspects in the same case. Investigators have moved to detain them immediately for an initial period of 20 days.
Read: Indonesia's Hajj Quota Corruption Costs Rp622bn in State Losses
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