Amsal Sitepu Videographer Case: Gekrafs Furious as Prosecutors Value Idea and Editing Services at Rp 0: Foolish Statement
Jakarta, VIVA – The General Chairman of the Indonesian National Creative Economy Movement (Gekrafs), Kawendra Lukistian, has voiced his anger regarding law enforcement officials who fail to value creative ideas and video editing services, assessing them at Rp0, in connection with the case involving videographer Amsal Sitepu, and is urging that the individual be granted a full acquittal.
He believes the case faced by Amsal could set a dangerous precedent for those striving in Indonesia’s creative economy. According to him, creative economy actors should not fear partnering with the government due to concerns of being criminalised after completing their work.
“Creative economy actors are like one body. If one is wronged, all creative economy actors feel wronged. We want Brother Amsal to be fully freed,” Kawendra said while attending a meeting with Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) discussing the Amsal Sitepu case at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Monday.
He explained that in the case, Amsal is accused in connection with alleged mark-up on a village profile video project valued at around Rp30 million per village. However, several parties have noted irregularities because all the village heads who used the service reportedly acknowledge that the video work was completed, used, and there were no complaints about the results.
Additionally, Amsal’s side has highlighted that cost components such as ideas, concepts, editing, dubbing, cutting, and the use of production equipment are considered to have zero value in the audit. However, according to creative economy activists, these components form the core of video production services.
“If there are certain public prosecutors or inspectors who say that ideas are zero, cutting is zero, dubbing is zero, that is a very foolish statement, blatantly insulting the profession,” said the member of Commission VI of the DPR RI.
He stated that his group deliberately requested the RDPU to be held because the current government is seriously promoting the creative economy sector as outlined in President Prabowo Subianto’s Astacita.
“In President Prabowo’s Astacita, there are two creative words. The second Astacita is the creative economy. The context is building our economic framework through the creative economy,” he said.
He also questioned the use of articles in the case. According to him, Amsal is merely a vendor or provider of videography services, not a state official with budgetary authority.