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From Habibie to Prabowo: A history of wiretapping controversies involving Indonesian presidents

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The latest inquiry has ensnared former National Police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo and two other senior police officials following surveillance directed at President Prabowo Subianto. Indonesian presidents have dealt with recurring monitoring operations dating back to 1998, when a sensitive phone call involving third president BJ Habibie was leaked from his office. Suspected surveillance equipment was also found in facilities utilized by Joko Widodo prior to his presidency, while former president Megawati Soekarnoputri avoided using her mobile phone due to persistent monitoring concerns.

Key points

  • Indonesian presidential administrations have faced recurrent surveillance and security br…: Indonesian presidential administrations have faced recurrent surveillance and security breaches throughout the post-Suharto Reformasi era.
  • Documented surveillance activities against Indonesian leaders have involved both domestic…: Documented surveillance activities against Indonesian leaders have involved both domestic security figures and foreign intelligence operations.
  • Concerns over unauthorized monitoring have led past Indonesian leaders to discover hidden…: Concerns over unauthorized monitoring have led past Indonesian leaders to discover hidden devices and abandon personal mobile phones.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

The communication surveillance scandal involving President Prabowo Subianto is the latest in a line of such incidents that have targeted his predecessors.

JAKARTA: Allegations of wiretapping targeting Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, which came to light late on Tuesday (Nov 3), are the latest in a series of controversies involving the surveillance of the country's top leaders over the years.

The latest case has implicated former National Police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo - who was most recently a part of Prabowo's cabinet - and two other senior police officials, with authorities warning that more arrests could be made.

Previous incidents include the leak of a telephone conversation involving then-president BJ Habibie in 1998, an Australian intelligence operation targeting Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2009 when he sat in office, and the discovery of suspected surveillance devices at facilities used by Joko Widodo before he became president.

Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri has also spoken about her concerns over the interception of private communications. In 2024, she claimed she was frequently targeted by surveillance and had avoided using her personal mobile phone.

These incidents…

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