Attorney General's Office Respects DPR Commission III Regarding Amsal Sitepu Videographer Case
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) of Indonesia has responded to the DPR Commission III’s intervention in the case of videographer Amsal Sitepu from Karo, North Sumatra, who is accused of causing state financial losses related to the production of village profile videos.
Head of the Legal Information Centre of the AGO, Anang Supriatna, stated that his side respects the DPR’s role as overseer of law enforcement.
“First, we respect and indeed the function of the DPR is to oversee so that law enforcement runs in accordance with applicable legal provisions and also to fulfil a sense of justice in society,” Anang said during a press conference in Jakarta on Monday (30/3).
Regarding the request, Anang allows Amsal to pursue the applicable legal mechanisms.
“Regarding the request from this defendant, please go ahead, there are legal mechanisms to be pursued. One of them is after the prosecution, then the plea of defence from the defendant and legal counsel, just present it there as it is,” Anang said.
“Of course, it will then be considered by the panel of judges who will decide,” he added.
Furthermore, Anang also thanked the DPR Commission III for holding a General Hearing (RDPU) regarding this matter. According to him, this is a step by the DPR as a control over law enforcement.
“Regarding the RDP, we are ready and we highly respect it and we thank you that this becomes part of the control for us as law enforcers to carry out our duties and functions in accordance with the rules and also to fulfil a sense of justice in society,” he stated.
Previously, Amsal Sitepu was prosecuted for two years in prison for allegedly marking up the production of village profile videos in Karo Regency for the 2020-2022 Fiscal Years amounting to Rp202,161,980.
In this case, Amsal is the sole defendant. In the prosecution hearing at the Medan District Court, Prosecutor Wira Arizona stated that Amsal was proven to have inflated the budget (mark-up) in the village profile video production project in Karo Regency for the 2020 to 2022 Fiscal Years.
The prosecutor asked the panel of judges to impose a two-year prison sentence on Amsal. In addition to the prison sentence, the defendant was also demanded to pay a fine of Rp50 million subsidiary three months’ imprisonment. Not only that, Amsal was also burdened with repaying state losses of Rp202,161,980. If not paid, it will be replaced with one year of imprisonment.
In the indictment, Amsal, who also serves as Director of CV Promiseland, handled the village profile video production project in Karo Regency. The programme was funded from village funds.
Therefore, Amsal is deemed to have enriched himself by Rp202,161,980, which constitutes state losses based on an audit by the Karo Regency Inspectorate.
The DPR held a General Hearing (RDPU) regarding this on Monday (30/3). Amsal attended virtually.
In its conclusion, the DPR Commission III stated its readiness to act as guarantor in the proposal for the suspension of detention for videographer Amsal Sitepu, who is undergoing legal proceedings in the alleged corruption case of producing village profile video series in Karo Regency, North Sumatra.
There are four other points of conclusion.
First, Commission III reminded law enforcers to prioritise substantive justice over mere formalistic legal certainty, as regulated in Article 53 paragraph 2 of the new Criminal Code.
Second, Commission III, according to Habib, reminded that eradicating corruption is not just to meet imprisonment targets, but to maximise the recovery of state financial losses.
Third, Commission III requested that law enforcers consider court decisions not to set counterproductive precedents against the creative industry climate in Indonesia.
Fourth, Commission III hopes that the judge will consider an acquittal, or at least a light sentence, for Amsal Sitepu.