Allegations of mark-up in a village video profile project involving Amsal Sitepu were a central topic during a Public Hearing (RDPU) with the House of Representatives’ Commission III on Monday, March 30th. In this important forum, Kawendra Lukistian, Chairman of Gekrafs (Creative Economy National Movement), emphatically called for Amsal’s complete exoneration.
Kawendra warned that this case could establish a dangerous precedent for creative economy actors across Indonesia. He stressed the importance of ensuring that professionals in the creative industry do not become hesitant to collaborate with the government, fearing potential criminalization after successfully completing their work. “Creative economy actors are like a single body. When one is wronged, all creative economy players feel the injustice. We demand that our colleague Amsal be fully acquitted,” Kawendra declared on Monday, March 30th.
Amsal is currently facing charges related to alleged mark-ups in the village video profile project, reportedly valued at approximately Rp30 million per village. However, several parties have pointed out significant discrepancies, noting that the village heads, who were the service users, confirmed that the video work was completed, utilized, and that there were no complaints regarding the final output.
Adding to the controversy, Amsal’s legal team has highlighted an audit report that assigned a zero value to crucial components such as ideation, concept development, editing, dubbing, cutting, and even the use of production equipment. This assessment stands in stark contrast to the views of creative economy professionals, who assert that these very aspects constitute the core and essence of the video production process. “If any prosecutor or inspectorate official claims that ideas are worth zero, cutting is worth zero, dubbing is worth zero, that is an incredibly foolish statement, a blatant insult to our profession,” Kawendra asserted.
Kawendra further explained that this RDPU was deliberately initiated because the current government is actively promoting the strengthening of the creative economy sector. This commitment is explicitly outlined in President Prabowo Subianto’s Astacita agenda. “Within President Prabowo’s Astacita, the word ‘creative’ appears twice. The second Astacita specifically focuses on the creative economy. The context is to build our economic framework through the creative economy,” he elaborated.
Kawendra also raised critical questions regarding the legal articles applied in this particular case. He argued that Amsal was merely a vendor or a videography service provider, not a state official with authority over budget management. “We must prevent such unjust processes from occurring. Situations like this have the potential to undermine our President’s spirit to foster the creative economy,” he stated, emphasizing the broader implications of the case.
Meanwhile, during the same forum, Amsal Sitepu himself shared his personal experience, claiming he endured intimidation throughout the legal proceedings. “I was directly intimidated by a prosecutor who offered me brownies and said, ‘just follow the process.’ I hope no other young people are criminalized like this,” Amsal recounted, expressing his profound concern for future generations.
In response to the impassioned pleas and detailed accounts, Habiburokhman, Chairman of Commission III of the House of Representatives, affirmed that his commission would promptly follow up on the outcomes of the Public Hearing. “Immediately after this session, we will sign the suspension of Amsal’s detention,” Habiburokhman declared, offering a glimmer of hope for the beleaguered creative professional.
Summary
A Public Hearing with the House of Representatives’ Commission III addressed alleged mark-ups in a village video profile project involving Amsal Sitepu. Kawendra Lukistian, Chairman of Gekrafs, emphatically called for Amsal’s exoneration, warning that the case could criminalize creative economy actors. He criticized an audit report that valued crucial creative elements like ideation and editing at zero, deeming it an insult to the profession and emphasizing Amsal was merely a service provider, not a state official.
Despite allegations of mark-ups in the approximately Rp30 million project, village heads confirmed the video work was completed and utilized without complaints. Amsal Sitepu himself recounted experiencing intimidation during the legal process. In response, Habiburokhman, Chairman of Commission III, assured that the commission would follow up on the hearing and immediately sign Amsal’s detention suspension.