Following his Instagram clarification, preacher Soleh Mahmud (Ustaz Solmed) gave an interview on March 16, 2026, in Jakarta, firmly denying he is the 'SAM' in same-sex harassment accusations. He corrected name misconceptions, noted contact from the reporting lawyer, and announced plans to file a police report for defamation amid apologies from some netizens.
The controversy began earlier in March 2026 when a lawyer reported alleged same-sex sexual harassment by a preacher with initials SAM, leading to widespread speculation linking it to Ustaz Solmed, husband of April Jasmine (see prior coverage on his Instagram response). His social media faced a barrage of comments despite no evidence.
In a follow-up interview on Monday, March 16, 2026, in Jakarta's Tendean area, Ustaz Solmed addressed the public's error in assuming his name was Soleh Ahmad Mahmud. "Itu adalah salah sasaran. Jadi SAM itu bukan saya. Mereka itu salah menduga, dipikir nama saya itu Soleh Ahmad Mahmud. Sejak kapan nama saya ada Ahmad-nya? Nama saya itu Sholeh Mahmoed Munawir," he stated. He revealed the lawyer had called him that night to confirm SAM was not him and shared that he knows the real person's identity.
Some netizens acknowledged the mistake, with one commenting, “Waduh salah lapak nih, kita putar balik yuk.” Feeling slandered by the false associations, Ustaz Solmed plans to report the defamation to police.
