Amsal Sitepu Acquitted of Corruption Charges in Village Profile Video Project
The panel of judges at the Medan District Court has issued an acquittal verdict for Amsal Sitepu, director of CV Promiseland, in the case of alleged corruption involving the production of village profile videos in Karo Regency, North Sumatra. This ruling nullifies all charges brought by the public prosecutors (JPU).
In the trial held at the Medan District Court on Wednesday (1/4), Presiding Judge Mohammad Yusafrihardi Girsang stated that the defendant was not proven guilty of the criminal act of corruption, either under the primary or subsidiary charges, in a legally valid and convincing manner.
The judges assessed that the evidence presented in court was insufficient to prove the elements of state losses or unlawful conduct in the procurement project for profile videos for 20 villages in Karo Regency.
“The defendant Amsal Sitepu is not proven guilty of the criminal act of corruption in a legally valid and convincing manner. The defendant is acquitted of all charges, and his rights are restored,” said Judge Yusafrihardi while reading the verdict.
In addition to freeing Amsal from all legal demands, the judges ordered the defendant’s immediate release from detention. The judge also emphasised the importance of restoring the defendant’s rights, including his position, dignity, and honour in the eyes of the law.
For information, the JPU had previously demanded a two-year prison sentence for Amsal Sitepu. The prosecutors believed there were state financial losses exceeding Rp202 million based on Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of the Corruption Eradication Law.
A day before the verdict was read, the court had suspended Amsal’s detention status, allowing him to return to his residence in Kabanjahe, Karo Regency. With this acquittal verdict, the case involving the director of CV Promiseland is officially declared unproven at the first-instance court level.
The prosecution side stated that they would study the verdict before determining the next legal steps, whether to file a cassation appeal or accept the judges’ decision.