Corruption Charges in Village Video Project Unproven, Amsal Sitepu Acquitted

The panel of judges at the Medan District Court acquitted the defendant Amsal Sitepu during the verdict reading session held on Wednesday, 1 April. The verdict in this case, which recently captured public attention, was read by the chief judge M. Yusafrihardi Girsang. According to the judge, Amsal was not proven guilty in a lawful and convincing manner of committing the criminal offence as alleged by the Public Prosecutor (JPU), neither in the primary nor the subsidiary charges. In the operative part of the verdict, the judge firmly acquitted the defendant of all charges. Additionally, the judge ordered the restoration of the defendant’s rights, including his honour and dignity. “Adjudicating, stating that the defendant Amsal was not proven guilty in a lawful and convincing manner of the acts as per the primary and subsidiary charges of the public prosecutor,” the judge stated while reading the operative part of the verdict at the Medan District Court. The judge stated that there was no material in the defendant’s actions classified as unlawful conduct. Previously, the prosecutor demanded a two-year prison sentence and a fine of Rp50 million, subsidiary three months’ imprisonment for Amsal. In addition, Amsal was burdened with repaying state losses amounting to Rp202,161,980. If not paid, it would be replaced with one year of imprisonment. In the prosecutor’s charges, Amsal, who served as Director of CV Promiseland, handled the project to create village profile videos in Karo Regency. The programme was funded from village funds. A total of 20 villages spread across four sub-districts had their profile videos produced, including Tiganderket Sub-district (Perbaji Village), Tiga Binanga Sub-district (Perbesi Village), Tigapanah Sub-district (Ajibuhara, Salit, Kutakepar, Seberaya, Mulawari, Tigapanah, Bertah, Manukmulia, Singa, Kutabale, Suka Pilihen Villages). Then Namanteran Sub-district (Sukatepu, Kuta Tonggal, Sukandebi, Kebayaken, Kutambelin, Kuta Gugung, Sigarang Garang Villages). However, the prosecutor assessed that the proposal submitted by Amsal to the village heads was not properly compiled and tended to be marked up. Additionally, the implementation of the work was deemed not in accordance with the Bill of Quantities and Costs (RAB). Each video project was set at a cost of Rp30 million per village. According to the prosecutor, for ideas to editing and dubbing the village profile video production, no costs were charged. The prosecutor emphasised that in procurement of goods and services, efforts must be made using minimum funds and capabilities to achieve quality and targets within the stipulated time or using the allocated funds to achieve results and targets with maximum quality. Therefore, Amsal was deemed to have enriched himself by Rp202,161,980, which became a state loss based on the audit by the Karo Regency Government Inspectorate. The case of videographer Amsal Sitepu received public spotlight. Before the verdict reading, attention was held with Commission III of the DPR until Amsal’s detention was suspended by the Medan District Court.