Ten major Hajj travel agencies face KPK scrutiny

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has announced that 10 major Hajj travel agencies are suspected of having involved in the alleged corruption case concerning the Hajj quota and the organization of the 2023-2024 Hajj pilgrimage at the Religious Affairs Ministry.

"We are focusing on the major travel agencies," KPK's acting Deputy for Enforcement and Execution Asep Guntur Rahayu said in Jakarta on Tuesday (August 12) confirming KPK Head Setyo Budiyanto.

He explained that Budiyanto received this information during the KPK's internal exposure of the case.

However, his side suspected that over 100 Hajj travel agencies, both large and small, are involved in the case.

Earlier, the KPK announced the start of an investigation into alleged corruption concerning the determination of Hajj quotas and the organization of the 2023-2024 Hajj pilgrimage at the Ministry of Religious Affairs on August 9, 2025.

The KPK made this announcement after questioning former religious affairs minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas on August 7, 2025.

The KPK also coordinated with the State Audit Board (BPK) to calculate state financial losses in the case.

On August 11, 2025, the KPK declared an initial estimate of state losses in the case exceeding Rp1 trillion (US$59 million).

On the same date, the KPK imposed travel bans on three individuals: Qoumas, his former expert staff member Ishfah Abidal Aziz, and Maktour owner Fuad Hasan Masyhur.

Alongside the KPK's investigation, the Special Committee on Hajj Inquiry of the Indonesian House of Representatives previously claimed to have discovered several irregularities in the organization of the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage.

The committee particularly highlighted the 50:50 allocation of the 20 thousand additional quotas granted by the Government of Saudi Arabia.

At that time, the Ministry of Religious Affairs allocated 10 thousand additional quotas to regular Hajj pilgrims and 10 thousand to special Hajj pilgrims.

This allocation was seen as violating Article 64 of Law Number 8 of 2019 concerning the Implementation of the Hajj and Umrah Pilgrimages, which stipulates that the special Hajj quota should be eight percent and the regular Hajj quota, 92 percent.