Jakarta – ICW's head of public service monitoring division, Ade Irawan, said here Friday that his team had found discrepancies amounting to US$127 million during last year's haj pilgrimage.

"The biggest irregularity was in flight expenses at $102 million."

Ade said when people paid the haj fees – which was set at between about $3,300 and $3,600, depending on their zoning of residence – in June 2008, the ministry charged them flight fees based on the market fuel price, which reached $130 to $140 per barrel, at that time.

"The fuel price was valid when they left for Saudi Arabia. But when they returned home, which was between November 2008 and January 2009, the fuel price dropped to only $60 per barrel," he said. "The ministry should pay back the differences, which is about $532 per person, to them."

Irregularities were also found in operational budget, which amounted to $25 million. "The budget was misused both in the country and in Saudi Arabia," Ade said.

The Office of Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare said in its Website that it would not return the money to haj pilgrims. In the Website, Religious Affairs Ministry's director general for haj, Slamet Riyanto, said earlier this year that 54 percent of the fee paid by the pilgrims was used to pay for air fare, 44 percent for accommodation in Saudi Arabia, 1.6 percent for the preparation at their embarkations while the rest was used to make the passports, insurance and meals during their preparation.

ICW's Analysis and Data Center chief, Firdaus Ilyas, said the watchdog has planned to report its findings to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) even though the latter had yet to take significant measures to assess its reports filed earlier this month on alleged graft in the 2005-2006 haj travel payment.

ICW will also write to the House of Representatives to summon Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basyuni for further inquiries over the alleged graft.

"People still think that the ministry is not prone to corruption, but it is. It is responsible for organizing haj pilgrimage, which generate loads of money every year," Ade said.

Indonesia sends around 200,000 pilgrims annually.

Only several weeks ago, ICW announced a possible Rp 562 billion ($55.02 million) mark-up on the price of this year's haj pilgrimage and said the price should be set much lower.

With lawmakers having approved the ministry's proposed price for the 2009 haj pilgrimage, the ministry is only one presidential decree away to set around $3,200 to $3,500 per pilgrim.

But the watchdog refuses to throw in the towel. "If the decree for haj travel payment was issued, and it was in accordance to what the ministry proposed, we will file for a judicial review for the decree," Firdaus said.