Indonesia’s National Police Chief is scheduled to appear before a parliamentary panel on Thursday as lawmakers intensify their investigation into allegations that President Prabowo Subianto was the target of an illegal wiretapping operation. The scandal, which has rattled the country’s political and security establishment, reportedly involved several high-ranking officials, including the president's own chief of staff. The investigation is currently focused on determining the origin of the order to wiretap the president, with the presidential office characterizing the operation as a potential case of treason. As a precaution, the government has ordered 20,000 troops to Jakarta, though most remain on standby in barracks rather than maintaining a visible military presence on the streets of the capital.
The wiretap allegations came to light following the detention of three senior police generals. Among those detained is Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who was named chief of staff to President Prabowo in October and maintains close ties to former President Joko Widodo. Since the initial detentions, a fourth high-ranking police official has been implicated in the matter. National Police Chief Gen. Suyudi Ario Seto is expected to field questions from parliament's Commission III, which oversees security and law enforcement affairs. The commission is attempting to determine the motive behind the wiretapping operation and uncover whether others were involved. Gen. Seto, whose office oversees the current investigation, took over from Listyo Sigit Prabowo as national police chief after the latter was named the president's chief of staff.
Commission III Chairman Habiburokhman emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “We will see this case through until the facts are fully and clearly revealed. Anyone found to be involved must be held legally accountable.” Beyond the president, who has not commented on the case, there are allegations that Cabinet officials, politicians, journalists, civil society leaders, and business executives were also subjected to unauthorized surveillance. Amnesty International has called for a complete investigation, noting that the wiretap operation could have been used to intimidate critics and weaken civil liberties.
The political fallout has deepened the rift between President Prabowo and his predecessor, Joko Widodo, known popularly as Jokowi. Evan Laksmana, a Singapore-based analyst with the International Institute for Strategic Studies, noted that the majority of Prabowo's political decision-making in the past two years has been overshadowed by Jokowi. “So this is kind of Prabowo finally potentially stepping out of Jokowi's shadow and maybe even going into open political confrontation,” Laksmana said. He added that the situation represents a long and likely painful breakup between the two, with significant political and security ramifications for the country.
Anti-government protests have recently been held in several major Indonesian cities, with demonstrators calling for accountability in the wiretap case, criticizing Widodo's continued political influence, and demanding the resignation of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who is Widodo's son. In the city of Yogyakarta, 154 people were detained on Tuesday following clashes after a protest by about 2,000 students and activists. Meanwhile, Raka offered to resign on Tuesday in response to an investigation into his academic credentials, which is unrelated to the wiretap case but has added to the overall political turmoil.
In addition to Listyo Sigit Prabowo, authorities have detained National Police Legal Division head Ahrie Sonta Nasution and Eko Hadi Santoso, a senior instructor at the National Police Education and Training Institute, both of whom are two-star police generals. A fourth official, Slamet Uliandi, a two-star police general who heads the Criminal Investigation Agency's Information and Communications Technology Division, has been implicated but is not in custody due to health reasons. Nasution was dishonorably discharged from the police on Tuesday following an internal ethics hearing prompted by the wiretap case, and similar proceedings against the others are expected soon, according to police spokesperson Johnny Eddizon Isir.
Police allege the unauthorized wiretapping took place between 2025 and 2026, after Prabowo took office and while Listyo Sigit Prabowo was still national police chief. While little has been released about the investigation, police stated last week that they uncovered evidence that Nasution, who previously served as an aide-de-camp from the police forces to President Prabowo, requested Uliandi's permission in October to delete recordings of the president’s telephone conversations. They said Uliandi approved the request and the files were deleted. Nasution’s lawyer, Krisna Murti, did not directly address the allegations but said his client would cooperate fully, stating, “Our client will be open to clarifying this case.” None of the suspects have made any public statements regarding the investigation.
