Videographer Amsal Sitepu Case: Gekrafs Chairman Furious Over Creative Ideas Valued at Rp0
General Chairman of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly’s National Creative Economy Movement (DPP Gekrafs), Kawendra Lukistian, has voiced his anger over the case of videographer Amsal Sitepu. Kawendra is urging that Amsal be given a verdict of acquittal, viewing the prosecutor’s allegations that reject the value of creative ideas and the editing process as a clear insult to the creative economy profession.
“Creative economy actors are like one body. If one is wronged, all creative economy actors feel wronged. We want Brother Amsal to be fully freed,” Kawendra said during a public hearing with Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) at the Parliamentary Complex in Senayan on Monday (30/3/2026).
Kawendra highlighted irregularities in the state loss audit that forms the basis of the markup allegations for the Rp30 million village profile video project in Karo, North Sumatra. In that audit, core production components such as ideas, concepts, editing, dubbing, and cutting were deemed to have no economic value or valued at zero rupiah.
“If there are rogue public prosecutors or inspectors who say ideas are zero, cutting is zero, dubbing is zero, that is a very foolish statement. It is blatantly insulting the profession,” said the member of Commission VI of the DPR RI.
According to him, the village heads as service users have acknowledged that the video work was completed, the results are tangible, used, and there are absolutely no complaints regarding the product quality.
Furthermore, Kawendra reminded that the criminalisation of creative workers is highly contradictory to the government’s grand vision. He referred to President Prabowo Subianto’s Asta Cita, which explicitly positions the creative economy as an important pillar of national economic development.
“In President Prabowo’s second Asta Cita, there is the term creative economy. The context is building our economic framework through this sector. Do not let there be unjust processes that harm our President’s spirit,” he stated.
He also questioned the legal circumstances that ensnared Amsal. Kawendra emphasised that Amsal was merely a vendor or videography service provider, not a state official with authority or power over state budgets.
“Do not let creative economy actors fear partnering with the government because they worry about being criminalised after completing work professionally,” Kawendra concluded.
In this case, Amsal is facing a demand of two years’ imprisonment, a fine of Rp50 million, and an obligation to repay state losses of Rp202 million related to the alleged corruption or markup in the production of village profile videos in Karo Regency. He is charged under Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999 as amended by Law No. 20 of 2001 on the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption.