Appreciation for Amsal Sitepu's Acquittal, Commission III Leader: Law Must Not Operate Rigidly
JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of DPR Commission III Mohammad Rano Alfath has expressed appreciation for the Medan District Court’s decision to acquit Amsal Christy Sitepu, who was previously embroiled in a case of fund inflation or mark-up.
According to him, the panel of judges demonstrated courage by considering the sense of justice and not solely relying on a normative approach.
“This ruling serves as an affirmation that the law must not operate rigidly and detached from social realities. What the panel of judges has decided today reflects sensitivity to public perceptions of justice, particularly for creative workers who often find themselves in grey areas under legal assessment,” Rano stated in his comments on Thursday (2/4/2026).
In this case, he questioned whether there was intent to harm state finances or merely a difference in valuation of services without standard pricing benchmarks.
“Criminal law enforcement cannot rely solely on numerical differences or constructions of state losses. There must be comprehensive proof of the elements of wrongdoing, including malicious intent and abuse of authority. If those aspects are not fulfilled, forcing the use of criminal instruments could potentially lead to injustice,” Rano said.
According to him, valuing components such as ideas, editing, or other creative processes at Rp 0 indicates a misunderstanding of the object being assessed.
“In law, we recognise that not all administratively calculated losses can automatically be qualified as state losses in a criminal context. Especially when the object is creative work that carries subjective value and is based on agreements between parties,” Rano stated.
The Amsal Sitepu case should serve as an important momentum to demonstrate that the state is present in recognising the creative work of young people.
“Creative work cannot be measured solely by material parameters. It involves ideas, thought processes, experiences, and skills built over years. All of that has value that cannot be averaged out or ignored,” Rano emphasised.
The panel of judges at the Medan District Court (PN) issued an acquittal verdict against the defendant in the alleged corruption case for producing a village profile video in Karo Regency, Amsal Christy Sitepu, on Wednesday, 1 April 2026.
Presiding Judge Mohammad Yusafrihardi Girsang stated that Amsal Sitepu was not proven guilty in a valid and convincing manner of committing the criminal offence as charged in the primary and subsidiary indictments.
“Therefore, the defendant is acquitted from all charges by the public prosecutor. The defendant’s rights in terms of ability, position, dignity, and honour are restored,” said Judge Mohammad Yusafrihardi Girsang on Wednesday (1/4/2026).