The Jakarta Post
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsEx-police chief Listyo may have committed 'treason' by wiretapping president: Govt
The alleged wiretapping may constitute treason and endanger state security, presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi told reporters.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo attends a hearing on Jan. 26, 2026, with House of Representatives Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, at the Senayan Legislative Complex in Central Jakarta. (Antara/Asprilla Dwi Adha)
P
resident Prabowo Subianto sacked his chief of staff on Wednesday for what his office said could be treason, a day after his arrest alongside two top police officers on suspicion of wiretapping the president, his ministers and others.
The alleged wiretapping may constitute treason and endanger state security, presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi told reporters.
Aauthorities have arrested three people for allegedly tapping President Prabowo's phone, with a minister identifying the suspects as a general and senior police officers.
Prabowo, who took office in 2024, has come under increasing pressure for his government's handling of the economy and destructive wildfires in the country.
Top detective Insp. Gen. Asep Safrudin identified the suspects only by their initials, LSP, ASN, and EH, and said they were under investigation for allegedly tapping "the telephone number of the President of the Republic of Indonesia" and other prominent figures.
These included government officials and politicians, journalists, NGO representatives and businesspeople.
Asep told reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday that numbers including Prabowo's were "tapped without any legal basis or without any investigative or inquiry process in accordance with applicable laws".
A police officer who became aware of the alleged crime filed a report on Friday, Asep said. Since then, police have examined 10 witnesses and three expert witnesses and seized evidence in the form of 11 mobile phones, an iPad and four flash drives.
If convicted, the suspects face up to 10 years in prison.
In a separate news conference, Justice Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra identified LSP as an "active police general", but would not name him.
Indonesian media said it was thought to be Listyo Sigit Prabowo -- no relation to the president -- who was appointed his chief of staff a month ago after serving as national police chief for five years.
Listyo holds the rank of general.
The two other suspects were senior police officials, said Yusril.
A fourth person was also under investigation.
The minister said there was no suspicion of treason.
"As to what material was tapped, and for what purpose the wiretapping was carried out, that is still in the investigative process, which is only at an early stage," he said.
