Aftermath of Amsal Sitepu Case: Attorney General's Office Secures Karo District Prosecutor and Team

The Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) has moved swiftly to secure the Head of the Karo District Prosecutor’s Office (Kajari), Dante Rajagukguk, along with the Head of the Criminal Investigation Section (Kasi Pidsus) and two sub-section heads who handled the case of videographer Amsal Sitepu. This step was taken to conduct a comprehensive clarification regarding allegations of unprofessionalism in managing the case.

The Head of the Legal Information Centre (Kapuspenkum) of the Attorney General’s Office, Anang Supriatna, confirmed that the prosecutors were pulled by the Attorney General’s Intelligence Team on Saturday night (4/3/2026).

“Clearly, last Saturday night, the individuals concerned, including Kajari Karo, Kasi Pidsus, and the two sub-section heads handling the case, along with the prosecutors involved, have been secured and withdrawn by the Attorney General’s Intelligence Team,” Anang stated in Jakarta on Monday (6/4/2026).

Anang explained that an internal examination had previously been conducted by the North Sumatra Attorney General’s Office. However, the Attorney General’s leadership decided to take over the process to ensure more objective and transparent results, given the uproar caused by the case.

“Clearly, this is a response from the leadership regarding the handling of a case with such an impact as the Amsal Sitepu matter. At the time, an examination was also being conducted at the North Sumatra Attorney General’s Office, but we have taken it over directly by the Attorney General’s team to ensure greater objectivity. Clearly, we prioritise the principles of caution and the presumption of innocence,” Anang said.

Anang stated that if initial evidence of deviations is found, the case will be forwarded to the examination team from the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus).

“Securing has been carried out to facilitate examination and clarification on whether there were any violations in handling the case, and what the actual circumstances are. If necessary, it will be forwarded to the examination team. The examination will be from the Attorney General’s Office, from the Special Crimes section,” he continued.

Anang emphasised that the examination by the Kejagung team will not only cover administrative aspects but will also delve into the substance of the case handling from the beginning to the prosecution stage, including the process of judge designation that sparked controversy on the ground.

“Overall. The handling, from start to finish, including how it ended. It will not only cover the handling from the initial investigation but also the prosecution process up to now, including the recent implementation of the designation that caused quite a stir. We will see,” Anang revealed.

Anang stated that the Attorney General’s Office will act firmly if any procedural violations or breaches of professional ethics are found in the handling of the Amsal Sitepu case, in which the defendant was previously acquitted by the court.

“We will see what happened, whether the legal process for Amsal Sitepu was carried out in accordance with the provisions and professionally. If violations are found, there will certainly be, if there are any provisions for violations, ethical sanctions from our internal mechanisms,” he concluded.

This case previously implicated a conglomerate from Central Kalimantan, Samin Tan, as a suspect.

A member of Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR), Hinca Panjaitan, appreciated the Kejagung’s move to secure Kajari Karo Dante Rajagukguk in connection with the handling of the Amsal Sitepu case.

Anang expressed respect for the steps taken by Commission III of the DPR in holding a General Hearing (RDPU) at the DPR to discuss the Amsal case.

The Kejagung provided explanations regarding the alleged corruption case in the production of village profile videos in Karo Regency, North Sumatra, which implicated videographer Amsal Christy Sitepu.

The Attorney General’s Office is urged not only to focus on the Amsal Sitepu videographer case but also to check other detainees handled by the Karo District Prosecutor’s Office in North Sumatra.

This step follows the polemic in handling the videographer Amsal Sitepu case, which has drawn sharp scrutiny, including from Commission III of the Indonesian DPR.

A member of Commission III of the DPR RI, Abdullah, stated that Kajari Karo Danke Rajagukguk issued a letter for intervention in the suspension of detention in the Amsal Christy Sitepu case.

The North Sumatra Attorney General examined Kajari Karo and Kasi Pidsus regarding alleged intimidation against Amsal Sitepu through the ‘Bronis Cokelat’ modus. Follow the developments in the case of the videographer who was recently acquitted.