Hearing hears Yaqut became angry during meeting over Hajj special committee

Former Indonesian Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas became angry during a meeting held as preparations began for a parliamentary inquiry into Hajj operations, a former ministry official told a corruption trial.

Ahmad Bahiej, who served as the ministry's head of legal and foreign cooperation from 2021 to 2024, gave the testimony as a witness in the alleged corruption case involving additional Hajj quotas for 2023-2024. The hearing took place at the Central Jakarta Corruption Court on Thursday, September 3.

Bahiej said the meeting was held at the Yuan Pasar Baru Hotel in Central Jakarta. Participants included Yaqut, his special, expert and technical staff, senior ministry officials, the director general of Hajj, the secretary-general, the inspector-general and directors responsible for Hajj and Umrah affairs.

According to Bahiej, Yaqut ended the meeting in an angry tone and asked, "Just admit it here, who committed the embezzlement?" Bahiej said the question surprised him because he had not previously known of any alleged wrongdoing. The participants then fell silent.

Bahiej also testified that Yaqut described the Hajj special committee as an inevitability that had already become an increasingly large snowball. He said Yaqut ordered those present not to record anything, although Bahiej had already written notes at the hotel.

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Just admit it here, who committed the embezzlement?