JAKARTA: Indonesian authorities have arrested the country’s former national police chief and two other senior police officers over allegations of illegally intercepting the phone communications of President Prabowo Subianto, cabinet ministers, journalists, politicians and prominent business figures.
The arrests come amid growing political tensions in Indonesia, with President Prabowo also removing his newly appointed chief of staff, Listyo Sigit Prabowo, from the position on Wednesday.
According to Reuters, Listyo, who served as Indonesia’s national police chief for the previous five years, was appointed presidential chief of staff last month before being dismissed from the role following the allegations.
Former Police Chief Among Three Officers Arrested
The three officers are accused of conducting illegal telephone surveillance between 2025 and 2026, allegedly targeting senior government officials, journalists, politicians, business personalities and leaders of social organisations and non-governmental organisations.
Presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi told reporters that the alleged operation had been carried out by rogue elements and could potentially amount to an act of treason.
He warned that such activities could threaten national interests and endanger the country’s leadership, particularly the security of the president.
Police officials said the suspects allegedly intercepted communications without formal requests from authorised investigative agencies. They were also accused of ordering the deletion of electronic records related to their surveillance activities last month.
Two Other Senior Police Officers Identified
Local media identified the other two arrested officers as Ahri Sonta Nasution, head of the National Police’s legal division, and Eko Hadi Santoso, who held a senior position at a police educational institution.
Authorities have not yet established the precise motive behind the alleged surveillance operation.
Senior Coordinating Minister for Legal Affairs Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the government was still investigating why the phone-tapping activities had been carried out.
Political Pressure Mounts on President Prabowo
The arrests come at a challenging time for President Prabowo, whose administration has faced growing public dissatisfaction over its policies and mounting economic concerns.
His government has also been dealing with a downturn in the Indonesian stock market, a weakening national currency and concerns over a possible downgrade of the country’s stock market classification by global index provider MSCI.
These developments have added to the political and economic challenges facing the Indonesian president.
