PRIME NEWS POST

MANDAILING NATAL,( NORTH SUMATRA )— Misron Saidi, widely known as Ade Batubara, a youth figure from Mandailing Natal, has praised the decisive action of the Mandailing Natal State Prosecutor’s Office (Kejari Madina) in naming and detaining Ahmad Meinul Lubis (AML), former Acting Head of the Community and Village Empowerment Agency (PMD) for 2023, as a suspect in the alleged corruption case involving the 2023 Smart Village Program funded by Village Funds.

Ade Batubara noted that the steps taken by the Head of Kejari Madina, Mohammad Nursaitias, S.H., M.H., together with the Head of Intelligence Section Jupri Wandy Banjarnahor, S.H., M.H., the Head of Special Crimes Section Herianto, S.H., M.H., and the Special Crimes investigative team, deserve recognition as a demonstration of professional, transparent, and accountable law enforcement.

Nevertheless, Ade Batubara questioned why, to date, AML is the only government official named a suspect, while several other parties allegedly linked to the planning, execution, oversight, and decision-making processes of the Smart Village Program have not had their legal status publicly clarified.

“The public’s question is straightforward: On what legal grounds and investigative considerations has only AML been designated a suspect, while others allegedly involved in the Smart Village activities remain legally undefined? Are they still witnesses, potential suspects, or no longer legally implicated? This must be clearly explained to prevent unfounded speculation,” Ade Batubara stated on 2 August 2026.

He explained that the Smart Village Program followed an extended process spanning planning, budgeting, implementation, and evaluation — during which leadership at the PMD Agency changed. While the program was designed and launched under AML’s tenure as Acting Head, subsequent appointments — including the installation of Irsyal as the permanent Head — took place during the programme’s lifecycle.

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Accordingly, Ade Batubara insisted that the investigation must comprehensively cover all parties holding strategic roles throughout the programme’s implementation.

“There must be no perception that the law stops with a single individual. If evidence establishes involvement by others, they must be prosecuted without exception. Conversely, if no involvement is found, the public deserves clarity on their status. The principle is clear: no one is above the law,” he emphasised.

Ade Batubara also recalled that, per official statements from Kejari Madina, this case stems from developments in an earlier investigation that named MA — Director of PT ISN — as a suspect. Prosecutors had explicitly pledged to expand the inquiry and did not rule out additional suspects should sufficient evidence emerge.

He therefore urged Kejari Madina to provide immediate legal clarity regarding all individuals examined in the case to avoid setting a damaging precedent for law enforcement.

“We trust and fully support the professionalism of Kejari Madina. Precisely for that reason, we ask that this investigation be conducted with full transparency. There must be no assumption that certain parties remain untouchable. Legal certainty for all allegedly involved is essential to maintain public trust in law enforcement institutions,” he said.

Furthermore, Ade Batubara affirmed that the people of Mandailing Natal stand firmly behind anti-corruption efforts — particularly those concerning Village Funds and programmes directly affecting public interests.

“We commend Kejari Madina’s courage in pursuing the Smart Village case. However, this matter must be investigated thoroughly until every responsible party is held accountable under the law. Only then can justice truly be served and public confidence in the rule of law preserved,” Ade Batubara concluded.