Indonesian authorities are investigating possible treason following the arrest of the presidential chief of staff and two senior police officers for allegedly wiretapping President Prabowo Subianto. The scandal has embroiled several senior figures in the administration and is unfolding amid signs of a widening rift between Prabowo and his predecessor, Joko Widodo.
Arrests and Investigation Details
Presidential Chief of Staff Listyo Sigit Prabowo—who is not related to the president—was arrested on Tuesday alongside two senior police officers. According to authorities, the three suspects entered phone numbers, including the president’s, into the official electronic surveillance system without following proper legal procedures such as obtaining an investigation warrant or case report.
BBC News reports that authorities discovered the operation last week following a tip-off from a police officer, though they believe the surveillance began in 2025 when Listyo served as the national police chief. A presidential spokesperson stated on Wednesday that the actions could amount to treason because they involved sensitive information capable of endangering national interests and sovereignty, an offense punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty in Indonesia. The motive remains unclear, and other targets of the alleged wiretapping included politicians, journalists, businesspeople, and NGO representatives.
Police named a fourth suspect on Thursday evening: Slamet Uliandi from the national police criminal investigation unit. However, he was not detained due to ill health after suffering a stroke. Listyo, who was appointed chief of staff last month, was dismissed from his position shortly after his arrest.
National Police Chief Suyudi Ario Seto told reporters on Thursday that the probe is purely a matter of law enforcement and is unrelated to rivalries or other factors. Nevertheless, the scandal highlights a history of surveillance concerns in the country, following the discovery of wiretapping devices at Jokowi’s official Jakarta residence in 2014 and former president Megawati Soekarnoputri’s claims in 2024 that she avoided using her personal mobile phone due to wiretapping fears.
Fracturing Alliance With Former President Jokowi
The scandal is widely viewed as the latest blow to the deteriorating alliance between President Prabowo and former president Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, who led the nation from 2014 to 2024. Jokowi supported Prabowo’s 2024 presidential campaign, leading to a victory alongside vice president Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Jokowi’s eldest son.
Made Supriatma, a visiting fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, told BBC News Indonesia that Listyo’s position is very close to Jokowi, indicating that the political figures are practically going their separate ways. Since taking office, Prabowo has shifted resources away from Jokowi’s Nusantara capital project toward his own free school meals initiative and reassigned several Jokowi allies, including long-serving finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati. Meanwhile, Vice President Gibran faces controversy over the validity of his high school credentials and calls for disqualification.
When asked about the incident following a court session on Thursday, Jokowi told reporters that everyone should respect the ongoing legal process.
The wiretapping controversy coincides with a turbulent period for Prabowo’s government, which faces funding struggles for the school meal program, severe wildfires, and stock market turmoil. Experts note that these political distractions draw attention away from pressing public challenges like economic uncertainty and environmental pollution, which have recently driven protesters into the streets. Nicky Fahrizal, a researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Indonesia, told BBC News Indonesia that the government’s operations feel like they are on autopilot and pursue individual group interests rather than the needs of the people.
