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Muhadjir Effendy Testifies in Hajj Quota Corruption Trial
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Crime & Justice

Muhadjir Effendy Testifies in Hajj Quota Corruption Trial

From CNN Indonesia · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • Muhadjir Effendy, a presidential adviser on Hajj affairs and former acting religious affairs minister, testified in Jakarta in a trial over alleged corruption involving additional Hajj quotas.
  • Prosecutors plan to call 303 witnesses in the case, with hearings scheduled four times a week and a verdict expected in December.
  • Four defendants face prosecution over alleged state losses of 622.09 billion rupiah, according to an audit by Indonesia’s Supreme Audit Agency.

Muhadjir Effendy, now a special adviser to the Indonesian president on Hajj affairs, appeared as a witness in a corruption trial involving additional Hajj quotas for 2023 and 2024.

The questioning took place at the Central Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday. Muhadjir was called in connection with his role as acting religious affairs minister in 2022. The presiding judge, Ni Kadek Susantiani, first confirmed his identity and personal details before the examination began.

We will first examine his identity.

— Ni Kadek SusantianiThe presiding judge addressed Muhadjir Effendy at the start of his testimony.

Prosecutors from Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission also summoned four other witnesses. They were initially scheduled to testify in the case against Asrul Azis Taba, the chairman of the Kesthuri Association and commissioner of PT Raudah Eksati Utama.

Correct, Your Honor.

— Muhadjir EffendyMuhadjir confirmed the identity details read by the judge.

The court said it would hold hearings four times a week, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. All four defendants will appear on each hearing day as witnesses are examined together. Prosecutors plan to present 303 witnesses, and the court has scheduled a verdict for December.

Four people face legal proceedings in the case: former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Yaqut’s former special staff member and Hajj Financial Management Agency supervisory board member Ishfah Abidal Azis, Maktour Operations Director Ismail Adham, and Asrul Azis Taba. Auditors from the Supreme Audit Agency calculated the alleged loss to state finances at 622.09 billion rupiah.

The hearings will be held four times a week, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. But all four defendants will attend each day because we will examine the witnesses together.

— Ni Kadek SusantianiThe judge explained the court’s schedule for the case.
About this summary

Originally published by CNN Indonesia in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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