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Suryadharma embroiled in a haj pilgrimage scandal
Suryadharma Ali - JP/DonThe state prosecutor at the Jakarta Corruption Court has accused senior politician Suryadharma Ali of abusing his power during his time as the minister of religious affairs to enrich himself and other individuals by misusing haj pilgrimage funds, which were obtained from the payments of haj pilgrims and state funds
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Suryadharma Ali - JP/Don
The state prosecutor at the Jakarta Corruption Court has accused senior politician Suryadharma Ali of abusing his power during his time as the minister of religious affairs to enrich himself and other individuals by misusing haj pilgrimage funds, which were obtained from the payments of haj pilgrims and state funds.
Suryadharma misused Rp 27.28 billlion (US$1.95 million) from the haj fund and received Saudi 17.96 million reals from a Saudi businessman who wanted to win contracts for haj accomodation.
Suryadharma could be imprisoned for up to 20 years if the court rules in favor of the prosecution.
From 2010 to 2013, the former United Development Party (PPP) chairman committed a series of graft and abuses of power, including abuse of the ministry's operational fund (DOM) for his personal interests.
Suryadharma, who served as minister of religious affairs for five years until 2014, also appointed 180 haj management committee (PPIH) officers, including several legislators, although he knew very well that such an act was against the ministry's own regulations.
He was also charged with sending 1,771 friends, family members, relatives and even his driver on haj pilgrimages at the cost of people who were actually entitled to the service.
'The defendant sent people who were close to him, including family members, adjutants, personal body guards, the defendant's driver and his wife's driver to perform their haj pilgrimage for free,' said prosecutor Supardi.
'During his tenure, the defendant used around Rp 1.82 billion of the fund for his own benefit, which is against Law No. 17/2013 on state finance,' he said.
The defendant also allegedly used around Rp 226.83 million of the fund to pay for visas and plane tickets when he and his family visited his daughter in Australia, Supardi said.
Suryadharma also provided some members of the House of Representative (DPR) Commission VIII with free facilities when performing their religious obligations by appointing them as the PPIH officials, according to Supardi .
'These acts are against Law No. 28/1999 on clean governance and Law No. 13/2008 on haj pilgrimage management,' the prosecutor insisted.
The prosecutor concluded that Suryadharma had violated Articles No. 1 and No. 3 of the 2001 Corruption Law.
According to the articles, Suryadharma could be imprisoned for up to 20 years and fined a maximum of Rp 1 billion.
Meanwhile, Suryadharma said he could not be blamed for the corruption at the ministry as he was only a policy maker at the time.
'The ones who should be held responsible when there were irregularities at the ministry are the ministry's director general and ministry officials,' he said.
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