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Tuesday, 26 June 2018 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Safna Malik
The United Hajj Agencies Union of Sri Lanka on Sunday urged the Government to set up a special commission to investigate alleged money laundering and corruption against the Hajj Pilgrimage Committee under the Muslim Religious Affairs Ministry.
Addressing a press conference organised by the United Hajj Agencies, All Ceylon Hajj Organisation Vice President M.S.H. Mohamed stated that the Government of Saudi Arabia had allocated a quota of 3,000 people for Sri Lankan pilgrims annually. The given quota is usually divided between the registered Hajj tour agents.
Nonetheless out of the 3,000 quota only 2,500 pilgrims have been chosen from the list with the remaining 500 slots reserved by Ministry staff for friends and family or sold to individuals who were not registered by obtaining bribes, the agencies charged.
The Government of Saudi Arabia has also given a “Free Movement Pass” to travel agents. However this too has not been distributed among the Hajj tour agencies, they added.
He said due to this issue over 20,000 pilgrims are currently in the Hajj Committee’s waiting list. They called for the Government to take immediate action and appoint a special commission to investigate the corrupt practices of the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs, which is under the Ministry.
Going into further details Mohamed said a Sri Lankan Muslim pilgrim who wished to worship Mecca has to get registered with the Muslim Religious Affairs Department. The basic approved registration fee by the department was Rs. 2,000 but in addition to that Rs. 4,000 is charged by the Ministry as service charges.
“In last three years Minister A.H.M. Haleem was appointed to take over the Ministry of Muslim Religious Affairs and his brother A.H.M. Fahim who was also the Private Secretary to the Minister have scammed money out of people and sold Hajj opportunities by accepting bribes despite the guidelines made by the Supreme Court on Hajj criteria under the act SC/FR-500/2012,” he added.
He highlighted that the United Hajj Agencies had filed cases on several occasions against the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs but no action has been taken by the related authorities.
The Department of Muslim Religious Affairs last year received an additional quota for 600 people, the Department officials’ charged Rs. 144,000 each only to provide accommodation. However the Ministry has obtain a sum of Rs. 86 million from those 600 pilgrims without issuing a rescript, alleged Mohamed.
He noted that according to the Supreme Court a four-month period should be given to Hajj pilgrims to choose their travel agencies but the Hajj Committee has given only two weeks.
