JAKARTA – In a dramatic development that exposes severe internal fractures within Indonesia’s security establishment, President Prabowo Subianto has dismissed and arrested his chief of staff over an extensive illegal wiretapping operation that the government warns could amount to treason.
Listyo Sigit Prabowo, the former national police chief who was appointed presidential chief of staff just weeks ago, was detained alongside two other senior police generals. The trio is accused of orchestrating a sprawling surveillance network that illegally tapped the communications of the President, high-ranking government officials, journalists, politicians, and prominent business figures since early 2025.
Presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi strongly condemned the domestic espionage, describing the unauthorised wiretaps as the work of “rogue individuals” whose actions directly threatened the safety of the head of state.
“It also tends toward acts that endanger state interests and the safety of the nation’s leadership,” Hadi told reporters, officially elevating the scandal to a matter of national treason.
The severity of the crisis has prompted the Indonesian military to mobilise approximately 20,000 troops and personnel across the capital, Jakarta. According to military officials, the massive deployment is intended to “safeguard and protect the stability of Indonesia’s security.” However, regional analysts note that the heavy military presence signals deep unease and potential friction between the armed forces and police factions loyal to the ousted police chief.
The espionage scandal erupts at a highly sensitive time for President Prabowo. A retired special forces commander who won a landslide victory in 2024, he has recently faced sliding approval ratings, public discontent over populist economic policies, and pressure from foreign investors. Furthermore, the arrests have laid bare a growing political rift between Prabowo and his two-term predecessor, Joko Widodo. Listyo, the sacked chief of staff, was widely recognised as a staunch loyalist to Widodo, who remains a highly influential figure behind the scenes.
Prabowo’s Gerindra party has condemned the wiretapping as blatant “insubordination” within the ranks of the government.
While authorities have yet to determine the ultimate motive behind the widespread surveillance, the scandal has sparked alarm among civil rights and sovereignty advocates. Amnesty International Indonesia urged the government to transparently disclose the full list of surveillance targets, warning that if left unchecked, such rogue intelligence networks could evolve into a shadow apparatus used to suppress political opposition and undermine the nation’s democratic framework.
As investigations deepen, the unprecedented purge of top police brass and the subsequent military mobilisation highlight the fragile balance of power in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.
Reference: Al-Mayadeen