Witness Says IDR 16 Billion Flowed to Hajj Committee, Nusron Wahid Has Not Commented
Baca dalam 60 detik
- Ishfah Abidal Azis, mantan staf khusus Menag Yaqut, bersaksi di Pengadilan Tipikor bahwa dana 1 juta dolar AS mengalir ke Ketua Pansus Haji 2024, Nusron Wahid.
- Kesaksian ini menambah lapisan baru dalam pusaran dugaan korupsi kuota haji tambahan yang telah merugikan negara Rp622 miliar.
- Nusron belum memberikan tanggapan resmi, sementara persidangan empat terdakwa terus bergulir dan berpotensi menyeret nama-nama besar lainnya.
Ishfah Abidal Azis, a former special staff member of Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, said he believes that USD 1 million reached Nusron Wahid, who served as chair of the 2024 Hajj Special Committee (Pansus). Ishfah gave the testimony after attending a follow-up hearing in the alleged corruption case involving the 2023–2024 additional Hajj quota at the Jakarta Central Corruption Court (Tipikor) on Thursday (24/9).
According to Ishfah, the funds did not flow directly, but through an intermediary named Zainal Abidin, whom he described as a close associate of Nusron. "I believe it reached Nusron, through Zainal Abidin, and there were people named Khomsen and Acong there," Ishfah told reporters. He stressed that for the Pansus specifically, the amount reached USD 1 million.
As of this article's publication, CNNIndonesia.com had tried to contact Nusron Wahid for confirmation, but the phone number in question was inactive. Nusron's silence contrasts with his position as committee chair, who should have safeguarded transparency in the organization of the Hajj.
In a hearing in early September, Ishfah and Syaiful Bahri—a former staff member of the Nahdlatul Ulama Central Board—confirmed the handover of about USD 400,000 to the House of Representatives' Hajj Pansus. According to Bahri's testimony, the money was entrusted by Asrul Azis Taba, chairman of the Kesthuri Association who is also a commissioner of PT Raudah Eksati Utama. The funds were initially intended for Ishfah, but were later said to be handed over to the Hajj Pansus chaired by Nusron.
"At the time I didn't know, sir, but after a few days I asked him, who was it actually, and then he told me," Bahri said in the hearing on Tuesday (1/9), answering Ishfah's question.
The courtroom exchange revealed that Bahri initially did not know the final destination of the money. After being told, he understood that the funds had been requested by Zainal Abidin, described as Nusron's friend. Ishfah also stressed that the handover through an intermediary named Erik was made at Zainal's request.
The additional USD 400,000 is suspected to have come from Mohammad Nuruzzaman, a former special staff member of the Religious Affairs Minister for Ministry and Institutional Relations, who prepared the money by borrowing from several parties. This flow of funds strengthens suspicions that bribery in the handling of the additional Hajj quota involved a fairly organized network.
The case is also suspected to have enriched several other parties, including 313 Special Hajj Organizers (PIHK). If true, the practice not only harms state finances but also erodes pilgrims' trust in Hajj governance, which should be clean and professional.
For the Indonesian public, especially prospective Hajj pilgrims, the development of this trial is a test of the government's commitment to eradicating corruption in the public service sector. The Hajj quota is a constitutional right of citizens, so any deviation in it could create unequal access. The House of Representatives and the Religious Affairs Ministry are urged not only to hand the matter over to the legal process, but also to fix the oversight system so that similar gaps do not recur.
Going forward, the question is: will Ishfah's testimony open the door to a deeper investigation into the alleged involvement of Nusron Wahid, or will it stop as courtroom talk? The public awaits firm steps by law enforcement to thoroughly investigate the flow of funds said to reach millions of dollars.
