House Commission III to Hold Hearing on Videographer Amsal's Corruption Allegations

Jakarta (ANTARA) - House of Representatives Commission III has stated it will hold a Public Opinion Hearing (RDPU) regarding the case of Amsal Sitepu, a videographer accused of corruption involving the “mark-up” of budgets for a village video project in Karo Regency, North Sumatra. Commission III Chair Habiburokhman said the RDPU is being held in response to numerous public demands viewing the case as marred by injustice. The RDPU is scheduled for Monday morning (30/3). “Commission III reminds law enforcers that the spirit of the new Criminal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure is for the legal process to produce substantive justice, not merely formalistic justice,” said Habiburokhman in Jakarta on Sunday. He stated that Amsal is suspected of inflating budgets, although videography work is creative labour without fixed pricing standards. On the other hand, he also reminded law enforcement officials that the priority in eradicating corruption should be maximising the recovery of state financial losses in major cases. Previously, Amsal Sitepu was demanded a two-year prison sentence by prosecutors in the alleged corruption case for a project in a village in Karo Regency, North Sumatra. Prosecutors also imposed a fine of 50 million rupiah, with the provision that if not paid, it would be replaced with three months’ imprisonment. Amsal expressed his response to the case ensnaring him on his Instagram account. From his case, he said that the current legal situation is not in good shape.