JAKARTA. A lawmaker revealed on Monday that House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie and a number of lawmakers flew to Saudi Arabia to perform haj in seats allocated for regular haj pilgrims.

Chairperson of House Commission VIII overseeing religioun Ida Fauziah of the National Awakening Party (PKB), was questioned on Monday as a witness in the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) investigation into alleged irregularities in the 2012-2013 haj program that has implicated former religious affairs minister and United Development Party (PPP) chairman Suryadharma Ali.

Suryadharma has been charged with abusing his power by reserving seats bound for haj-bound planes for friends, family and associates at the House — effectively depriving other pilgrims from making haj and illegally co-opting government money.

After a five hour questioning, Ida said that Marzuki participated in Suryadharma’s haj trips, but as part of a separate entourage that was also paid for by the government.

“I was not part of the minister’s entourage. I joined Commission VII and the House speaker’s entourage,” Ida said at the KPK headquarters on Monday.

She was quick to deny allegations that her trip with the House speaker was funded using pilgrims’ money.

“The trip was funded using budget [money] from the House. But, I cannot remember the amount,” Ida said.

Religious Affairs Ministry inspector general M. Jasin confirmed that the Ministry had granted haj seats to members of the House and also to other institutions.

“In the past, such practice was common. Haj seats were illegally given not only to the House but to other institutions. We are currently working to fix the problem in the 2014 haj program,” Jasin told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

At least 1 percent of the 200,000 seats in the haj quota are left unused each year due to illness, death or other factors among the prospective pilgrims. Suryadharma has repeatedly claimed it was his prerogative as minister to decide how to distribute the unused seats.

Each pilgrim is required to pay a deposit of Rp 25 million (US$2,139) in order to be added to the waiting list for the pilgrimage. That money is then stored and managed by the ministry. Currently, there are nearly 2 million people are on the waiting list for haj. Last year, some 168,800 successfully performed the pilgrimage in Mecca.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi emphasized on Monday that the KPK investigation was also examining the procurement of goods and services in the haj pilgrimage program during 2012-2013.

Separately, House Commission VIII deputy chairman Jazuli Juwaini of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), who was also questioned as a witness in the case on Monday, confirmed that Commission VIII members colluded with ministry officials to secure projects for the construction of pilgrim housing in Saudi Arabia.

“Such practice is not allowed. For details, please ask the KPK investigators,” he told reporters.

Jazuli declined to respond to a question regarding his company’s potential involvement in procuring catering for haj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia during the 2012-2013 haj season.

On Monday, the KPK also questioned former Religious Affairs Ministry’s director general for the haj and umrah (minor pilgrimage), Anggito Abimanyu, for a second time after interrogating him for 12 hours last week.

“Anggito was questioned to reveal more information about alleged corruption committed by SDA,” KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto said on Monday, referring to Suryadharma by his initials.

The KPK raided Anggito’s office as part of its investigations and confiscated documents, a laptop and a cell phone that belonged to him.

Anggito resigned from his post after the KPK hinted that he would soon follow Suryadharma in being named a suspect in the case. (Haeril Halim)

Editor: Barratut Taqiyyah Rafie