Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basyuni admitted Tuesday to receiving money from the haj fund in an alleged graft case being investigated by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
The minister, however, claimed that his decision to accept money from the Ummah Trust Fund (DAU) was legitimate as it had been justified by a decree issued by his predecessor.
"The 2003 religious affairs ministerial decree ruled that DAU could be used to pay functional allowances for its management agency, the agency head, its supervising board and executive board as well as the management staff," said Maftuh, who was appointed to his current post in late 2004, replacing Said Aqil Hussein Al-Munawwar.
Said Aqil was jailed for five years in 2006 for corruption charges related to haj funds.
"The DAU could also be used for overseas assignments, holiday allowances and other purposes, including operating allowances for the religious affairs minister, director general of haj management and for treasurer," Maftuh added.
He said the 2003 ministerial decree was based on a 2001 presidential decree surrounding the management of DAU funds, and was linked to aspects of 1999 Law on Haj Management.
Maftuh said as the DAU management agency head, he had the right to a monthly allowance of at least Rp 15 million (approximately US$1,300) from DAU funds based on the ministerial decree.
He said he and other officials at the agency had received such payments during the transitional period of the President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration in late 2004 and early 2005.
However, Maftuh said he revoked the ministerial decree in 2005 and cut the DAU management agency head's monthly allowance to Rp 5 million.
"And in May 2005, after scrutinizing an internal report from the Religious Affairs Ministry's inspectorate general, I decided to freeze the DAU funds, which is why they remained so low," he added.
"Since then, none of the funds have been used. We sometimes borrow it for urgent requirements, but quickly return it," he said.
The KPK claims it is looking into a report from Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) that alleges Maftuh embezzled haj funds. ICW provided the KPK with some receipts of allowance payments that the minister allegedly received between November 2004 and May 2005.
ICW also found receipts of incentives and travel allowances for at least 15 lawmakers from the House of Representatives' Commission VIII, which oversees religious and social affairs.
The Religious Affairs Ministry has admitted to paying for the trips of two lawmakers in 2005 using haj management funds, not DAU money. The two lawmaker were inspecting preparations for the haj in Mecca.
DAU funds are the outcome of efficiency in haj management. The haj law rules that the funds must be managed by an agency chaired by the incumbent religious affairs minister.
The 2001 presidential decree states that DAU funds are to be used for education and religious promotion, health, social activities, economic projects, the construction of religious facilities and the management of the haj pilgrimage.