House Commission III to Summon Karo District Prosecutor's Office Over Amsal Sitepu Case
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chairman of the House of Representatives Commission III, Habiburokhman, stated that he will summon the Karo District Prosecutor’s Office in North Sumatra and the Prosecutorial Commission regarding the controversy in the case involving videographer Amsal Sitepu.
According to him, the leaders at the Attorney General’s Office are reformist individuals who are open to criticism conveyed by the public through the House of Representatives Commission III. However, he wants the prosecutorial offices at the lower levels, such as the Karo District Prosecutor’s Office, to conduct an evaluation as he admitted to being disappointed.
“We will summon the Karo District Prosecutor’s Office along with their public prosecutors tomorrow (Thursday, 2 April 2025), and we will also invite the Prosecutorial Commission to evaluate matters like this,” said Habiburokhman at the Parliamentary Complex in Jakarta on Wednesday.
In the controversy of that case, he assessed that there is resistance from dirty law enforcement officials who feel uncomfortable with the activities of the House of Representatives Commission III in conveying aspirations related to Amsal Sitepu.
“Today, a group of people held a demonstration there. I don’t know if it was orchestrated by the Karo District Prosecutor’s Office or not, but we will check,” he said.
Additionally, according to him, there is a narrative being built by the Karo District Prosecutor’s Office regarding the suspension of Amsal Sitepu’s detention, which allegedly violates procedures. He refuted this, stating that the court had already granted the suspension of detention for Amsal.
It should have been, he said, that Amsal was immediately released once his detention suspension was approved by the judge. However, according to him, Amsal and House of Representatives Commission III member Hinca Panjaitan, who accompanied him, had to wait for hours for officials from the Karo District Prosecutor’s Office to sign the detention suspension documents.
“We are very disappointed with the Karo District Prosecutor’s Office ranks whose attitude is 180 degrees opposite to the leadership of the Prosecutor’s Office, Mr Attorney General, Mr Head of the Public Prosecution Division, Mr Head of the Special Crimes Division, Mr Head of the Supervisory Division, Mr Head of the Intelligence Division,” he stated.
For this reason, he emphasised that the House of Representatives Commission III is ready to be held accountable for its activities in conveying aspirations related to Amsal Sitepu.
“We will hear what their reasons are if indeed they are the ones carrying out propaganda, steering statements as if the public’s aspirations are wrong, and as if we are intervening,” he said.