JAKARTA, Legal Literacy — The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas as a suspect in the alleged corruption case related to the management of the 2024 Hajj quota. The KPK stated that the suspect designation was made after investigators obtained sufficient evidence, although the state loss value in the case is said to be still in the calculation process.

KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo explained that the procedure for determining a suspect in principle depends on fulfilling the requirements for sufficient evidence. In the investigation process, Budi said, the investigation team has collected various evidentiary materials from various sources.

According to the KPK, the series of evidence collected not only comes from witness examinations, but also includes documents and electronic evidence obtained during the ongoing investigation. In addition, the KPK stated that it had conducted searches in a number of locations to strengthen the construction of the case and trace the flow and forms of alleged profits arising from the Hajj quota policy.

Budi emphasized that the accumulation of evidence collected by investigators was considered strong enough to bring the case to the stage of determining a suspect. He said that the decision had also gone through internal discussions and obtained the agreement of the leaders of the anti-corruption agency.

BPK Is Still Calculating State Losses

On the other hand, the KPK stated that the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) is still calculating the value of state financial losses. The KPK associates this process with the character of the case that uses allegations of corruption articles that require proof of state losses.

The KPK had previously conveyed an initial estimate of the potential loss, which was said to be able to reach around Rp 1 trillion. However, the KPK emphasized that the definitive value is still awaiting official calculation results.

Two Suspects, Not Yet Detained

In addition to Yaqut, the KPK stated that it had named another suspect, namely Ishfah Abidal Aziz, known as Gus Alex, who was referred to as a former special staff during Yaqut's tenure. Until this development was conveyed, the KPK stated that neither of them had been detained.

The status of a suspect at the investigation stage, according to law enforcement practice, is not always followed by immediate detention. Detention depends on the consideration of investigators, including the need for investigation and concerns that the suspect will flee, eliminate evidence, or repeat the act.

Case Background: Additional 20 Thousand Hajj Quota

This case relates to the policy of distributing an additional Hajj quota of 20 thousand pilgrims for the implementation of the 2024 Hajj, when Yaqut was still the Minister of Religious Affairs. The additional quota—in previous news—was obtained after communication and lobbying at the government level with the Saudi Arabian authorities.

In terms of policy, the additional quota is intended to help reduce the regular Hajj waiting period, which in some areas can be very long, even reaching tens of years. Before the addition, Indonesia's Hajj quota in 2024 was at 221 thousand pilgrims. After the addition, the total quota increased to 241 thousand pilgrims.

However, the policy that then drew attention was the distribution of the additional quota, which was said to be carried out evenly: 10 thousand were allocated for regular Hajj and 10 thousand for special Hajj.

The Problem of Special Hajj Proportion

The main criticism that emerged was about proportion. In the laws and regulations related to the implementation of the Hajj, the special Hajj quota is regulated to have a certain portion of the total national quota (said to be around 8 percent). With the distribution of additional quotas that increase the portion of special Hajj, there is an allegation that the composition of the quota is not in line with the proportional arrangement.

In the figures circulating, Indonesia in 2024 used a quota of around 213,320 for regular Hajj pilgrims and 27,680 for special Hajj pilgrims. The KPK stated that the distribution policy is suspected of having an impact on regular pilgrims who should have been able to depart after the additional quota.

The KPK stated that there were around 8,400 prospective regular Hajj pilgrims who had been waiting for more than 14 years and were considered likely to depart with the additional quota, but in the end were not accommodated.

Allegations of "Acceleration Money" and Confiscation

In the development of the investigation, the KPK also conveyed the alleged practice of "acceleration money" related to quota management. In line with this, the KPK stated that it had taken confiscation actions against a number of assets allegedly related to the case, ranging from money to valuable assets such as houses and vehicles.

The KPK emphasized that the investigation is still ongoing and steps to trace assets and explore the roles of related parties will continue to be carried out. The public is also awaiting further announcements, including details of the case construction, other parties allegedly involved, and the final results of the state loss calculation by the BPK.