News Summary:
- Karo Prosecutor’s Office (Kejari Karo) Prosecutor, Wira Arizona, has denied allegations of intimidating videographer Amsal Christy Sitepu.
- Wira Arizona maintains that the offer of brownies was purely an act of humanity, stemming from prisoners’ complaints about insufficient food.
- He stated that providing food in this manner has been a practice since 2024.
Teknowarta – Wira Arizona, a prosecutor from the Karo District Attorney’s Office (Kejari Karo) in North Sumatra, has finally addressed allegations of intimidating videographer Amsal Christy Sitepu. These accusations revolved around the prosecutor’s alleged offer of chocolate brownies accompanied by a request for Sitepu to simply follow the legal process.
Amsal Sitepu was previously embroiled in a corruption case concerning the creation of village profile videos in Karo Regency. He was acquitted by the panel of judges at the Medan District Court on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, a verdict that cleared his name. The Karo Prosecutor has now vehemently denied any intimidation directed at Sitepu.
Wira Arizona presented his defense during a public hearing (RDPU) with Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta on Thursday, April 2, 2026. He began by explaining his visit to Tanjung Gusta Detention Center, where Amsal was held in connection with the alleged mark-up in the village profile video project. Wira stated that his visit was for an examination, emphasizing that he had coordinated with Amsal’s lawyer beforehand.
“Firstly, I want to clarify my visit to Tanjung Gusta for the examination of suspect Amsal, during which we had coordinated with Mr. Amsal’s lawyer. So, we had absolutely no intention of intimidation,” Wira asserted, as monitored by Breaking News KompasTV. He noted that Amsal’s lawyer was unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances, and Wira himself was accompanied by two staff members.
Reiterating his denial, Wira insisted he had no intent to intimidate Amsal with the chocolate brownies. “I was not alone; I had two team members with me,” he stated. “It was also witnessed that the handover was not from my hand, but from my staff’s hand. And there was no conversation whatsoever; I had no ulterior motive. We were purely driven by a sense of humanity and conscience.”
Furthermore, Wira explained that offering brownies was a practice, a “culture,” that prosecutors in Karo Regency had maintained since 2024. “Because initially, this request came from the detainees, sir. They asked for more food, requesting assistance, just like that, sir,” he elaborated, linking the act to prisoner welfare rather than coercion.
Upon hearing this, Habiburokhman, Chairman of Commission III of the DPR RI, clarified that the commission’s focus was not on the brownies themselves, but on the alleged intimidating message that Amsal had reported. “No, sir, this is not about food. It’s about the narrative, those very words. Mr. Amsal repeated it again, there was a narrative saying ‘just follow the process’ and so on,” Habiburokhman told Wira. Wira firmly denied any such intimidating message. “That is not true, sir, I stated. It is not,” Wira emphasized.
Amsal Sitepu Alleges Intimidation
Amsal Christy Sitepu, also present at the public hearing, detailed the alleged intimidation he received from the prosecutor’s office. According to his account, the incident occurred on December 1, 2025, while he was in detention. He claimed that Prosecutor Wira Arizona approached him with a box of chocolate brownies and allegedly instructed him to remain silent and simply follow the judicial process.
“The intimidation involving chocolate brownies occurred on December 1, 2025,” Amsal stated. “On December 1, 2025, Mr. Wira Arizona approached me and gave me a box of chocolate brownies with the words, ‘Just calm down, brother, don’t make a fuss, just follow the flow, why bother getting a lawyer, we’ll help with the demands, someone is disturbed,’ or something to that effect, leaders,” he explained. Wira, however, steadfastly refuted this account.
Amsal Acquitted
As previously reported, Amsal was involved in an alleged corruption case concerning the mark-up of village profile video creation in Karo Regency. In a significant turn of events, the Medan District Court acquitted Amsal on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
Chief Judge Mohammad Yusafrihardi Girsang declared that Amsal Sitepu was not legally and convincingly proven guilty of the criminal act as charged in either the primary or subsidiary indictments. “The court acquits the defendant from all charges of the public prosecutor. It restores the defendant’s rights concerning his capacity, position, honor, and dignity,” Judge Mohammad Yusafrihardi Girsang stated on April 1, 2026.
Amsal broke down in tears as the judge pronounced his acquittal, repeatedly wiping away tears flowing down his cheeks. After the judge concluded reading the verdict, Amsal prostrated in gratitude within the courtroom, a visible display of his relief and thanks.
Origin of the Case
The case originated from Amsal’s work as a videographer through his company, CV Promiseland, on a village profile video project in Karo Regency between 2020 and 2022. Amsal offered video production services at a cost of Rp30 million per village to approximately 20 villages across several sub-districts. However, an analysis by experts and auditors from the Inspectorate estimated the reasonable cost for one video to be around Rp24.1 million. This discrepancy between the offered price and the estimated fair cost formed the basis of the alleged budget mark-up.
Despite the allegations, some parties argued that such a price difference does not necessarily indicate a criminal act. They contended that videography is part of the creative industry, which lacks standardized pricing and heavily depends on the concept, production quality, and client requirements. The Public Prosecutor (JPU) charged Amsal with violating corruption laws, demanding a sentence of two years imprisonment, a fine of Rp50 million, and an obligation to return state losses amounting to Rp202 million. This figure for state losses was based on the audit results from the Karo Regional Inspectorate, totaling Rp202,161,980.
Additionally, the JPU claimed inconsistencies between the project’s execution and the submitted Budget Plan (RAB), asserting that the compiled proposal did not align with actual conditions. “The legal facts obtained showed that Amsal had a close connection because the bidding pattern and RAB utilized the same methodology as other suspects in identical cases,” stated DM Sebayang. The JPU also found that the work, initially proposed for a 30-day duration, was not fully completed within that timeframe, despite full payment being received.
Ahead of the verdict hearing, the Medan District Court granted Amsal’s request for a suspension of detention on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. This suspension was confirmed by Hinca Panjaitan, a member of Commission III of the DPR RI. “Today, we from Commission III of the DPR RI have received the decree from the panel of judges granting the suspension of detention,” Hinca stated.
Summary
Karo Prosecutor Wira Arizona has denied allegations of intimidating videographer