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ICW gets new haj graft evidence
Wed, 01/07/2009 11:18 AM | National
Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has submitted to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) additional evidence to back its allegations that haj funds were embezzled by senior officials at the Religious Affairs Ministry.
"The evidence includes transfer receipts from the Haj Management Body (BPIH) and the Public Trust Fund (DAU), to Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basyuni," Ade Irawan, ICW coordinator for public service monitoring, said Tuesday.
He added ICW's attempts to trace the flow of money found the minister had received Rp 173 million (US$15,585) from the BPIH and Rp 543 million from the DAU when he visited Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, as well as the Vatican between 2004 and 2005.
ICW's documents show at least six payments, worth Rp 10 million each, for operational allowances from the BPIH to the ministry.
The documents also show Basyuni received Rp 60.6 million to host an Idul Fitri open house and Rp 25 million in holiday allowance in 2004, as well as Rp 25 million that he gave to former state intelligence agency chief ZA Maulani to cover the latter's medical expenses in 2005.
Ade said ICW had found a surplus of more than Rp 800 million to the government from managing the latest haj.
"Between November and December 2008, the price for going on the pilgrimage went down by 50 percent from the price at the time the haj expenses were set between June and July," he said.
Each pilgrim paid between $3,258 and $3,517.
With the fuel price making up 35 percent of the airfare to Saudi Arabia, the drop should have generated a surplus of $75,133.
KPK deputy chairman for prevention M. Jasin said the commission would assign a team to examine the report.
"We will also summon all the related parties to verify the report soon," he said.
Maftuh denied the allegations when ICW made public its findings for the first time last December.
"It's not true," the minister said at the time.
A director at the ministry, Abdul Ghafur Djawahir, told tempointeraktif.com news portal the ministry had clarified the findings to the Supreme Audit Agency.
With the ministry wielding a monopoly on the management of the haj, corruption watchdogs have long warned of possible misuse of haj funds.
In 2006, former religious affairs minister Said Agil Al Munawar was sentenced to five years in prison for misusing DAU funds. --JP/Irawaty Wardany
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Hassan Mulyadi (not verified) — Thu, 01/08/2009 - 7:26am
Finally, actions will be taken to the notorious ministry. A travel agency once told me that the ministry collected 'extra' money but only return the 'extra' money to the agency after 6 months. When the agency asked them about the money, it was mentioned that it will be given back to them soon. It was given back after 3 months.
I applaud the actions of the ICW and request that the KPK takes swift action to investigate these claims (which I feel is true!). In addition, I also applaud the DPR for disapproving the way that the Haj programme was handled this year. Last year was the food incident, this year, the pilgrims were place far away from Mekah.
For the ministry, please don't cloak yourself under the umbrella of religion. Be honest in your dealings with the ummah. The Haj is a lifetime savings for most of us. No one likes to be cheated!!!