Amsal Sitepu Case: Commission III States Creative Work Cannot Be Unilaterally Valued at Rp 0

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Chairman of DPR Commission III, Habiburokhman, emphasised that creative work cannot be valued for free or at Rp 0 unilaterally.

He made this statement during a public hearing (RDPU) discussing the case of videographer Amsal Christy Sitepu, who is accused of inflating the budget for services in producing village promotional videos through his company, CV Promiseland.

“Creative videographer work does not have a fixed standard price, so it cannot be said that there was inflation or mark-up from a standard price. Creative work cannot be unilaterally valued at Rp 0,” said Habiburokhman during the RDPU on Monday (30/3/2026).

Commission III hopes that the court decision will not set a bad precedent for the creative and digital economy in Indonesia.

“Commission III of the DPR RI calls on the Panel of Judges in the case of Brother Amsal Christy Sitepu to consider an acquittal or at least a light sentence based on the trial facts, and to explore, understand, and follow the legal values and sense of justice that live in society,” said Habiburokhman.

He is accused of inflating the budget for village promotional video services through his company, CV Promiseland.

In this case, Amsal is facing a demand of two years’ imprisonment, a fine of Rp 50 million, and an obligation to repay state losses of Rp 202 million.

Based on the Case Tracking Information System (SIPP) of the Medan District Court, Amsal is known to have submitted a proposal for producing village profile videos to 20 villages in Karo Regency through CV Promiseland.

In the document, the cost of producing a village profile video was offered at Rp 30 million per village.

The difference in value comes from several cost components, such as creative concepts, use of equipment, production process, to post-production such as editing and dubbing.

It is this difference in calculation that has become one of the bases for the alleged budget inflation in the case ensnaring Amsal Sitepu.