Videographer Amsal Sitepu Demands 2 Years in Prison for Making Village Profile Video, How Could This Happen?
The case of alleged corruption involving videographer Amsal Christy Sitepu has drawn significant attention. Amsal Sitepu is being prosecuted for two years in prison for allegedly marking up the production of village profile videos in Karo Regency for the 2020-2022 fiscal years, amounting to Rp202,161,980.
In this case, Amsal is the sole defendant. During the prosecution hearing at the Medan District Court, Prosecutor Wira Arizona stated that Amsal was proven to have inflated the budget (markup) in the project to produce village profile videos in Karo Regency for the fiscal years 2020 to 2022.
The prosecutor requested that the panel of judges impose a prison sentence of two years on Amsal. In addition to the prison term, the defendant is also demanded to pay a fine of Rp50 million, subsidiary three months’ imprisonment. Furthermore, Amsal is burdened with repaying the state losses amounting to Rp202,161,980. If not paid, it will be replaced with one year of imprisonment.
The case of videographer Amsal Sitepu, accused of markup or budget inflation in the production of village profile videos, has also attracted attention from DPR Commission III. The commission has even scheduled a public opinion hearing (RDPU) regarding the case.
It is known that in the indictment, Amsal, who also serves as Director of CV Promiseland, carried out the project to produce village profile videos in Karo Regency. The programme was funded from village funds.
Twenty villages spread across four sub-districts were produced with profile videos, 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). Then 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 prepared and tended to be marked up. In addition, the implementation of the work was deemed not in accordance with the Bill of Quantities (RAB). Because each video project was set at a cost of Rp30 million per village.
The prosecutor emphasised that in the procurement of goods and services, efforts must be made using minimum funds and capabilities to achieve quality and targets within the specified time or using the allocated funds to achieve results and targets with maximum quality.
Therefore, defendant Amsal is deemed to have enriched himself by Rp202,161,980, which constitutes state losses based on the audit by the Karo Regency Inspectorate.
The prosecutor assessed that defendant Amsal is legally and convincingly guilty 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 hearing with the agenda of reading the verdict is scheduled for Wednesday, 1 April 2026.
Amsal has denied carrying out budget markup in the project he undertook. As a creative worker, he claims he has no authority to inflate the budget.
“Our country is not doing well, sir. I am just a creative economy worker. I am a professional videographer, I am charged with budget markup. How can a service provider markup the budget?” said Amsal as seen from the TikTok account of Amsal and Lovia, Sunday (29/3).
DPR Commission III is scheduled to hold an audience to discuss the case on Monday (30/3). Chairman of Commission III DPR, Habiburokhman, considers the case ensnaring Amsal to be odd.
As a creative worker who does not have a certain fee limit, Amsal, according to Habib, is instead accused of inflating the village profile production project in Karo Regency.
“Amsal Sitepu, who is a videographer, is accused of budget inflation (markup) for video promotion services for villages. Whereas videography work is creative work whose price does not have a certain standard,” he said on Sunday (29/3).