House Commission III Acts as Guarantor for Videographer Amsal Sitepu's Detention Suspension Proposal
Indonesia’s House of Representatives Commission III has stated its readiness to act as guarantor in the proposal for the suspension of detention for videographer Amsal Sitepu, who is currently undergoing legal proceedings in a suspected corruption case involving the production of a village profile video series in Karo Regency, North Sumatra.
The proposal is one of five conclusions from a public hearing (RDPU) on the case, held on Monday (30/3), attended virtually by Amsal himself.
“Commission III of the House of Representatives proposes that Mr Amsal Christy Sitepu be granted detention suspension with Commission III of the House of Representatives as guarantor,” said Commission III Chairman Habiburokhman while reading the meeting conclusions.
In addition to proposing detention suspension, there are four other points in the meeting conclusions. First, Commission III reminds law enforcement officials to prioritise substantive justice over mere formalistic legal certainty, as stipulated in Article 53 paragraph 2 of the new Criminal Code.
“Substantively, the creative work of a videographer does not have a fixed standard price, so it cannot be said that there was inflation or mark-up from a standard price,” said Habib.
Second, Commission III, according to Habib, reminds that eradicating corruption is not just about meeting imprisonment targets, but about maximising the recovery of state financial losses.
“In the case of Mr Amsal Christy Sitepu with state financial losses of Rp202 million, the objective of law enforcement would be better achieved if the recovery of state financial losses is maximised from the outset,” explained Habib.
Third, Commission III requests that law enforcement consider court decisions not to set counterproductive precedents for the creative industry climate in Indonesia.
Fourth, Commission III hopes that the judge will consider an acquittal verdict, or at least a light sentence, for Amsal Sitepu.
“Calling on the Panel of Judges in the case of Mr Amsal Christy Sitepu to consider an acquittal or at least a light sentence based on trial facts, and to explore, understand, and follow the legal values and sense of justice prevailing in society, including for creative industry workers as regulated in Article 5 paragraph (2) of Law Number 48 of 2009 on Judicial Power,” said Habib.
According to the prosecutor, in the indictment, Amsal is deemed to have committed mark-up or inflation of funds after setting a budget of Rp30 million for the village profile series. The funds came from the village fund budget.
However, according to the prosecutor, that amount does not match the planned budget cost (RAB).
Amsal’s project is deemed to violate Minister of Home Affairs Regulation Number 20 of 2018 on Village Financial Management, Article 2 paragraph (1), which states that village finances are managed based on the principles of transparency, accountability, participation, and carried out in an orderly and disciplined budget manner.
Recent audit results indicate state financial losses from the alleged calculation of state financial losses amounting to Rp202,161,980.
Amsal’s case is still in the trial process, following the prosecution’s demand on 20 February. The trial will continue with the verdict agenda scheduled for 1 April 2026.