Videographer Amsal Sitepu Acquitted

The panel of judges delivered an acquittal verdict for videographer Amsal Christy Sitepu, the defendant in a trial at the Medan District Court on Wednesday (1/4). Amsal was found not guilty of mark-up in the production of village profile videos in Karo Regency for the 2020-2022 fiscal years, amounting to Rp202,161,980. “Having adjudicated, we declare the defendant Amsal not proven guilty in law and convincingly of the acts as charged in the primary and subsidiary indictments by the public prosecutor,” stated the panel of judges chaired by Mohammad Yusafrihardi Girsang. Therefore, the panel ordered the defendant to be freed from the public prosecutor’s charges, restoring his rights, position, dignity, and honour. According to the judges, there was no material in the defendant’s actions classified as unlawful conduct. Previously, public prosecutor Wira Arizona had demanded a two-year prison sentence for the defendant Amsal, a fine of Rp50 million subsidiary to three months’ imprisonment. In addition, Amsal was burdened with repaying state losses of Rp202,161,980. If not paid, it would be replaced with one year in prison. The indictment stated that Amsal, who also serves as Director of CV Promiseland, handled the project to produce village profile videos in Karo Regency. The programme was funded from village funds. Twenty 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), and 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 execution of the work was deemed not in accordance with the Bill of Quantities (RAB). Each video project was set at a cost of Rp30 million per village. According to the prosecutor, for ideas to editing and dubbing in producing the village profile videos, it should have been zero rupiah. 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 stipulated funds to achieve results and targets with maximum quality. Therefore, defendant Amsal was deemed to have enriched himself by Rp202,161,980, constituting state losses based on an audit by the Karo Regency Inspectorate. The prosecutor assessed that defendant Amsal was guilty in law and convincingly of committing the criminal act of corruption violating Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended by Law No. 20 of 2001. The case of videographer Amsal Sitepu received attention from the DPR’s Commission III. Following that, Amsal’s detention was suspended by the Medan District Court.