Friday, 31 July 2026
MANDAILING NATAL | INDATANEWS.COM - The Mandailing Natal District Prosecutor's Office has named AML, the acting Head of the Mandailing Natal Office of Community Empowerment and Village Administration (Dinas Pemberdayaan Masyarakat dan Desa) in 2023, as a suspect in an alleged corruption case involving the Smart Village Program funded through the 2023 Village Fund (Dana Desa).
The announcement regarding AML's designation as a suspect was made during a press conference held on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at the Mandailing Natal Prosecutor's Office. The event was attended by the Head of the Mandailing Natal Prosecutor's Office, Mohammad Nursaitias, S.H., M.H.; Head of the Intelligence Division of the Mandailing Natal Prosecutor's Office, Jupri Wandy Banjarnahor, S.H., M.H.; Head of the Special Crimes Division of the Mandailing Natal Prosecutor's Office, Herianto, S.H., M.H.; along with the investigative team from the Special Crimes Division.
The Special Crimes Investigation Team of the Mandailing Natal Prosecutor's Office named AML as a suspect after obtaining at least two valid pieces of evidence in accordance with applicable legal provisions.
The alleged corruption case involving the Smart Village Program had previously resulted in MA, President Director of PT ISN, being named a suspect on March 6, 2026.
During the ongoing investigation process, the Mandailing Natal Prosecutor's Office investigative team discovered indications of AML's alleged involvement, who at that time served as the acting Head of the Mandailing Natal Office of Community Empowerment and Village Administration in 2023.
Based on the investigation findings, AML allegedly gathered district heads (Camat) and instructed village heads to include the Smart Village Program in their respective Village Revenue and Expenditure Budget Plans (Rencana Anggaran Pendapatan dan Belanja Desa/RAPBDes).
The investigative team subsequently questioned several witnesses and examined documentary evidence, as well as expert assessments. The investigation revealed that after implementation, the Smart Village Program did not receive adequate maintenance or technical support, causing the application to fail to operate according to the program's initial objectives.
The Smart Village Program was one of the initiatives financed through the 2023 Village Fund allocation. The program was designed to improve village capabilities in utilizing digital village applications. The contract value for the program amounted to Rp24,975,000 (twenty-four million nine hundred seventy-five thousand rupiah) per village across Mandailing Natal Regency.
Further investigation uncovered strong indications of collective corruption involving the implementing parties and AML, who served as the acting Head of the Mandailing Natal Office of Community Empowerment and Village Administration in 2023.
The alleged actions resulted in the Smart Village application not being optimally utilized in villages. Based on an audit conducted by the Mandailing Natal Regency Inspectorate, the case allegedly caused state financial losses of approximately Rp1.7 billion (one billion seven hundred million rupiah).
Following his designation as a suspect, AML was detained by the Mandailing Natal Prosecutor's Office investigative team for 20 days. The detention period runs from July 29, 2026, until August 17, 2026, at the Class IIB Panyabungan Correctional Facility.
AML is alleged to have violated Article 603 in conjunction with Article 20 letter c of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code (Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana), as well as Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption Crimes, as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001, in conjunction with Law Number 1 of 2026 concerning criminal law adjustments.
In addition, AML is also alleged to have violated Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999, as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001, along with Article 20 letter c of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code in conjunction with Law Number 1 of 2026 concerning criminal law adjustments.
The Head of the Mandailing Natal Prosecutor's Office, Mohammad Nursaitias, S.H., M.H., emphasized that AML's designation as a suspect was the result of a professionally conducted investigation development process based on legally obtained evidence.
"This case demonstrates that the Mandailing Natal Prosecutor's Office handles every indication of corruption crimes gradually, objectively, and based on legal facts obtained during the investigation process. The designation of AML as a suspect is the result of further investigation development after the investigative team previously determined MA as a suspect. We will continue developing this case to fully uncover the role of all parties involved. Therefore, it is possible that additional suspects may be named if sufficient evidence is found," Mohammad Nursaitias stated.
The Mandailing Natal Prosecutor's Office reaffirmed its commitment to continuing law enforcement efforts in a professional, transparent, and accountable manner, particularly in supervising the management of state financial resources, including Village Funds, to ensure their utilization complies with applicable regulations.
This commitment is part of the Mandailing Natal Prosecutor's Office's efforts to strengthen public trust in law enforcement institutions and ensure that state budget allocations provide benefits for the community. (IDNC)
REPORTER: Darmailawati | EDITOR: Fik Sagala
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