Indonesia's former top cop arrested, accused of wiretapping the president

National Police confirmed on Nov 3 that former police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo and two other senior officers have been arrested over an alleged wiretapping operation aimed at President Prabowo Subianto. The other two suspects were identified as Ahrie Sonta and Eko Hadi Santoso, both two-star police generals. All three are being held at the National Police Headquarters detention centre in South Jakarta.

Listyo led the National Police from 2021 until 2026, and was installed as Presidential Chief of Staff on Oct 1 — a post he held when the allegations surfaced. According to Bareskrim chief Asep Safrudin, the interceptions ran between 2025 and 2026, with the suspects allegedly loading phone numbers into the police's own lawful interception management system.

Asep told reporters the targets went far beyond the president, covering state officials, political figures, journalists, civil society and NGO leaders, and businesspeople. He said the taps had no connection to legitimate law enforcement work, and that in October 2026 the suspects deleted log records to cover their tracks. The case broke open after an officer with knowledge of the activity reported it to Bareskrim on Oct 30.

The trio has been charged under the Criminal Code and the Electronic Information and Transactions Law for illegal wiretapping, unauthorised access to another person's computer, and unauthorised deletion of electronic information. Together the charges carry a possible penalty of 24 years behind bars.

Speaking at a separate Nov 3 press conference, Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Institutions Yusril Ihza Mahendra said investigators have so far found no sign the wiretapping was tied to an attempt to topple the government. He declined to reveal what was intercepted or why, saying that remains under investigation. Yusril added that Prabowo has been briefed on the case and instructed law enforcement to act firmly under the law. He also flagged a broader review, noting that several state institutions hold the authority and equipment to conduct wiretapping — and that anything done outside the rules amounts to a serious crime.