JAKARTA — Former National Police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo and two senior officers have been arrested for allegedly wiretapping President Prabowo Subianto and other government officials, Indonesian police said on Nov 3.
National Police Criminal Investigation Agency chief Asep Safrudin said the suspects allegedly intercepted telephone communications of the president, state officials, political figures, journalists, civil society leaders, NGO representatives and businesspeople between 2025 and 2026. He said the numbers were entered into the police’s Lawful Interception Management System without any legitimate law-enforcement purpose.
According to Asep, the suspects deleted log records in October 2026 to conceal the activity. The case emerged after an officer with knowledge of the alleged wiretapping reported it to the Criminal Investigation Agency on Oct 30.
Listyo, who led the National Police from 2021 to 2026 and was appointed Presidential Chief of Staff on Oct 1, was arrested along with two-star generals Ahrie Sonta and Eko Hadi Santoso. They face charges under the Criminal Code and the Electronic Information and Transactions Law for illegal wiretapping, unauthorised computer access and unlawful deletion of electronic information, carrying a combined maximum sentence of 24 years.
The suspects are being held at the National Police Headquarters detention centre in South Jakarta. Coordinating Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said investigators had found no indication so far that the wiretapping was linked to an attempt to overthrow the government, adding that President Prabowo had been informed and ordered firm legal action.