Politics1 min read

Indonesian ex-police chief may have committed 'treason' by wiretapping president: Government

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The illicit surveillance apparatus originated in 2025 while Listyo led the national police, operating completely outside normal legal frameworks and statutory inquiry requirements. In addition to monitoring the president, the operation swept up communications from politicians, business leaders, and non-governmental representatives. The arrests followed closely after Listyo was dismissed from his brief tenure as presidential chief of staff. Officials are actively investigating the motives behind the widespread operation as concerns grow over the exposure of highly sensitive national security information.

Key points

  • Lead investigator Asep Safrudin confirmed the extensive surveillance was executed without…: Lead investigator Asep Safrudin confirmed the extensive surveillance was executed without any legal basis, inquiry, or investigative process.
  • The high-level security scandal coincided with President Prabowo Subianto enacting his se…: The high-level security scandal coincided with President Prabowo Subianto enacting his seventh Cabinet reshuffle amid economic and environmental challenges.
  • Investigators have not yet established the underlying motives behind the broad wiretappin…: Investigators have not yet established the underlying motives behind the broad wiretapping scheme that compromised the president's communications.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Listyo Sigit Prabowo had served as the national police chief during the period of the alleged wiretapping.

JAKARTA: Indonesia's former police chief, fired this week from his latest post as presidential chief of staff, may have committed "treason" through his alleged involvement in wiretapping the head of state's telephone, the government said on Wednesday (Nov 4).

"What was done may have fallen into the category of being considered as leading to treason," presidential spokesman Prasetyo Hadi told reporters in Jakarta of Tuesday's arrest of Listyo Sigit Prabowo.

"This also constitutes actions that endanger the security of the interests of the state, including jeopardising the safety of the country’s leader," he said.

On Tuesday, the national police announced it had arrested Listyo and two other senior officers for allegedly tapping the phone of President Prabowo Subianto, government officials and politicians, journalists, NGO representatives and businesspeople.

Top detective Asep Safrudin said this was done "without any legal basis or without any investigative or inquiry process in accordance with applicable laws".

Prabowo, who took office in 2024, has come under increasing pressure for…

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