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United Development Party (PPP) politician revealed on Tuesday that party chairman and former religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali also took other politicians from other parties to join his haj entourage in 2012-2013, a practice the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has been investigating as an abuse of power.

The statement was a further blow to Suryadharma, who resigned from his ministerial post after being named a suspect by the KPK in the haj graft case following revelations that he had taken members of his family, colleagues and PPP lawmakers to Mecca, taking away seats from regular pilgrims and spending government money to fund the trip.

After five hours of questioning by the KPK on Thursday, PPP politician Irgan Chairul Mahfiz, also a member of the House of Representatives Commission IX on health and welfare affairs, identified one of the non-PPP politicians as Erik Satrya Wardhana of the Hanura Party.

'€œThere are several other politicians, including Erik from Hanura,'€ Irgan said without disclosing the names of the other politicians.

In a move apparently intended to conceal the identities of the entourage members, Suryadharma allegedly falsely registered around 36 people as Indonesian Haj Management Committee (PPIH) representatives.

Suryadharma also used haj seats intended for regular pilgrims who have been waiting years to go to Saudi Arabia.

None of the PPP politicians who have been questioned in the case, including Irgan, denied that while most prospective pilgrims have to wait for at least five years, some politicians could more easily get a turn to go on the haj because of their relationships with Suryadharma.

Every year at least 1 percent of the around 200,000 places in the haj quota are left unused because of illness, death and other reasons. Suryadharma has repeatedly claimed it was his prerogative as minister to decide how to allocate the unused seats.

The KPK, however, insisted that the unused seats have to be given to other prospective pilgrims, whose numbers currently reach 2 million on the waiting list.

Meanwhile, Irgan denied he did not pay his own way.

'€œI paid for my own trip to the PT Al Amin Universal travel agent using my own money. I also told KPK investigators that I am not a haj committee member,'€ Irgan said.

Irgan declined to disclose the relationship between Suryadharma, the Religious Affairs Ministry and PPP lawmakers with Al Amin Universal.

He also did not explain how he came to be in the same entourage with Suryadharma, who traveled to Saudi Arabia representing the ministry on an official visit, if he registered through a private travel agent.

Al Amin is reportedly owned by Melani Leimena Suharli of the ruling Democratic Party.

'€œI don'€™t know [who owns Al Amin]. As for how much I paid for the trip, please ask KPK investigators,'€ Irgan said.

When asked if he knew whether the unused seats were intended for other prospective pilgrims on the waiting list, he answered, '€œI don'€™t know.'€

Responding to Irgan'€™s statement, KPK deputy chairman Busyro Muqoddas said there were two possible violations in the haj graft case: the illegal use of haj quotas and the use of state money to fund the '€œillegal'€ entourage.

'€œThis is not about whether they paid for the trip on their own, but about whether the lawmakers insulted regular folks who have to sell their paddy fields, livestock and more to get the money just to be on the waiting list. They are the ones who should get the seats and not the cronies of the minister,'€ Busyro said.