Jakarta/Medan. Fighting corruption charges, a videographer has turned to parliament for justice, saying he is wrongly accused in a case that is raising questions about how creative work is valued.

Amsal Sitepu, director of CV Promiseland, is accused of inflating project costs in a government-funded program to produce village profile videos and develop local communication infrastructure in Karo regency, North Sumatra.

Speaking after a hearing at the Medan District Court earlier this month, Amsal said he had no intention of marking up project budgets and insisted he was being wrongly accused.

“I am a creative worker. From the beginning, there was no intention to misuse state funds,” he said, adding that payments were made only after projects were completed, making manipulation unlikely.

Speaking via teleconference at a hearing with the House of Representatives’ Commission III on Monday, Amsal said the idea for the village video project emerged during pandemic lockdowns. Leveraging his professional experience, he submitted proposals valued at around Rp30 million ($1,760) per village, which he described as relatively low given the logistical challenges and risks of filming in remote areas — including the loss of a drone during production.

Between 2020 and 2022, at least 20 villages across four districts in Karo — Tigabinanga, Tiganderket, Tigapanah, and Namanteran — agreed to the projects using village funds, he said.

Prosecutors allege the proposed costs were inflated. Based on an audit by the Karo Inspectorate, the production cost should have been about Rp24.1 million per village, forming the basis of the alleged state losses.

The case is part of a broader investigation into irregularities in village-level projects between 2020 and 2023. The Attorney General’s Office said total state losses across multiple contracts are estimated at Rp1.8 billion ($113,000), involving several companies and suspects.

Amsal’s case accounts for roughly Rp202 million of that figure, according to Anang Supriatna, a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office.

Anang said the case does not center on technical skills but on discrepancies in project budgets, known as cost plans. Investigators allege that certain expenses—such as equipment rental durations and editing costs—were overstated or duplicated, while the actual work performed fell short of what was billed.

The prosecution has demanded a two-year prison sentence for Amsal, along with a Rp50 million fine and restitution of Rp202 million if convicted. A verdict is expected on April 1.

Amsal, however, argues that the dispute stems from differing perceptions of how creative work is valued. He said his proposal included line items such as Rp2 million for concept development and Rp1 million each for editing, cutting, and dubbing—costs that auditors and prosecutors allegedly deemed to have zero value.

“If the price was considered too high, why wasn’t the proposal rejected? Why should I be imprisoned?” he said during a hearing with lawmakers on Monday.

The case has triggered unease among Indonesia’s creative community, with critics arguing it highlights a lack of understanding of how creative services are priced.

Lawmakers have also taken notice. Habiburokhman, who chairs the House of Representatives’ Commission III overseeing legal affairs, convened a public hearing on the case following mounting public pressure.

Another commission member, Hinca Panjaitan, said parliament’s involvement was part of its oversight function, not an attempt to interfere with judicial independence.

He questioned whether creative work — such as concept development, dubbing, and editing — was being fairly valued.

“It is unreasonable to say creative work has zero value,” Hinca said, adding that the commission had submitted its findings to the court as an amicus curiae, urging judges to consider a fair outcome.

Government officials have also weighed in. Leontinus Alpha Edison, a deputy at the Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment, described the case as a warning sign for the future of creative economy.

“Criminalizing differences in professional valuation risks stifling innovation at the grassroots level,” he said in a statement.

The Creative Economy Ministry said it is drafting new guidelines for procuring creative services, acknowledging that such work differs from standard goods procurement and requires more nuanced evaluation.

While the Attorney General’s Office said it respects parliamentary oversight, it urged the defendant to present his defense through legal channels, adding that judges will weigh all arguments before issuing a ruling.