KPK โขReceives Funds from Khalid โฃBasalamah in Hajjโฃ Quota Inquiry
Jakarta – The โคCorruption Eradication Commission โ(KPK) has confirmed receiving funds from khalid โBasalamah, โowner of a Hajj travel agency, as part โof itsโค ongoing investigation intoโ alleged corruption surrounding the 2024 Hajj quota. The โฃamount received representsโฃ a refund related to the allocation of the additional Hajj quota.
The case centers on the โขdistribution of an additional 20,000 Hajj quota slots granted to โIndonesia, intended to be split 50/50 โbetween regular and special Hajj โpilgrimages. Though,regulations โคstipulate that special Hajj quotas should comprise only 8 percent โofโฃ the total national quota.โ The KPK โขsuspects irregularities occurred as travel agencies, including those โฃassociated with Khalid Basalamah, sought to influence the quota distribution with theโค Ministry of Religion โข(Kemenag).
KPK spokesmanโข Budi Prasetyoโ stated investigators areโฃ examining the mechanisms by which travel agencies acquired pilgrimage departure quotas, specifically focusing on instances where agencies initially utilized furoda โ (independent Hajj packages) before transitioning to special โHajj arrangements. “Investigatorsโค explore howโค the acquisition of the pilgrimageโฃ departure quota is like whatโฃ the mechanism is, then in the field โlike what the relevant recognition is also โฃrelatedโข to initially using furoda, then shifted into โคa special hajj,” Prasetyo said.
Khalid Basalamah was previouslyโข questioned by the KPK on September 9th forโ approximately 7.5 hours regarding his role in sending pilgrims on the 2024 Hajj using the additional quota. โคThe KPKโ is also questioning othre travel โagencies andโข relevantโ associations overseeing their operations.
While โฃthe investigation has reached the stageโค of examining โคwitnesses, including former Religious Minister Yaqut Cholil Qouumas, โno suspects have yet been named. Preliminary estimatesโ indicate potential state losses exceeding Rp 1 trillion due to the alleged shift from regular to special Hajj quotas.