REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- A piece of "Kiswah," a cloth covering the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's Holy City of Mecca, which was seized by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) from former religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali, was sold at Rp450 million. The buyer, HR Muhammad Jufri Saad, got the Kiswah that the antigraft body auctioned off here on Wednesday.
Saad became the only person to have accepted the top price that the auctioneer offered. Along with the Kiswah, KPK also auctioned 22 other confiscated goods items.
Commenting on his success in purchasing the Kiswah sold at the price, which was higher than the asking price of Rp22.5 million (US$1= Rp14,337), Saad stated that he would frame it and would display it at his home as part of his personal collections.
A scrap trader, M Jufri Saad became the only person to have accepted the top price of Kiswah offered by auctioneer. He bought the Kiswah at Rp450 million. The Kiswah was seized by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) from former religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali.
"I have been attempting to get this 80 by 59 centimeter Kiswah for a week. Now, Alhamdulillah, I have got it. As a Muslim, I see the Kiswah as the best piece of collection," Saad, a scrap trader living in Central Jakarta's Joglo area, remarked.
Also read: Suryadharma Ali satisfied with JK’s testimony
He further stated that being able to purchase the peace of Kiswah in Indonesia was a good luck. He explained that Kiswah was not available for sale in Saudi Arabia.
Saad revealed that he had joined the auction of KPK's confiscated goods seven times. Today's auction of 23 items of seized goods has made the antigraft body earn Rp16.5 billion.
Ali is currently serving an imprisonment for corruption involving Haj funds.