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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Crime & Justice

Indonesia Corruption Watch: Hajj Quota Bribery Case Investigator Summons Agency Owner

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Indonesian anti-corruption investigators are questioning the owner of a hajj travel agency, Fuad Hasan Masyhur, as a witness in a bribery case involving the management of hajj quotas.
  • The case involves allegations of improper distribution and filling of additional hajj quotas, with investigators suspecting bribes were paid to former and current officials.
  • Several individuals, including former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and agency officials, have been named as suspects in the ongoing investigation.

Indonesian anti-corruption investigators have summoned Fuad Hasan Masyhur, the owner of the hajj travel agency PT Makassar Toraja (Maktour), for questioning. Masyhur is expected to testify as a witness in a corruption case concerning the management of hajj quotas for the 2023-2024 period.

Budi Prasetyo, a spokesperson for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), expressed confidence that Masyhur would attend the hearing, noting his previous absence on June 2, 2026, due to performing the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. The KPK believes Masyhur possesses crucial information regarding the distribution and allocation of additional hajj quotas, which were allegedly managed improperly.

The investigation has already led to the designation and detention of new suspects, including Ismail Adham, Maktour's Operations Director, and Asrul Azis Taba, Commissioner of PT Raudah Eksati Utama and Chairman of the Association of Tour Travel Haji Umrah RI (Kesthuri). These individuals are accused of arranging the filling of special hajj quotas for affiliated companies, allegedly in collusion with the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Further details reveal that former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and his former special staff member, Ishfah Abidal Aziz, were also named as suspects. The alleged scheme involved requesting and distributing an additional 20,000 hajj quotas from Saudi Arabia, with a 50-50 split between regular and special hajj quotas. Investigators suspect that Maktour and other affiliated hajj and umrah companies gained illicit profits amounting to billions of rupiah through this arrangement, with alleged bribes paid to ministry officials.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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