Former Indonesian Police Chief Named Suspect in Alleged Prabowo Wiretapping

JAKARTA — State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said the alleged wiretapping of President Prabowo Subianto involving former National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo could amount to treason.

“We also believe that what was done may already fall into a category that we could consider as moving toward an act of treason — an act that endangers national interests, including the safety of the country’s leaders,” Prasetyo told a news conference on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.

Prasetyo said surveillance targeting the head of state could expose highly sensitive information.

“Such sensitive information could endanger the interests and sovereignty of the nation and the state,” he added.

He described the alleged wiretapping of the president and other state officials as “extraordinary,” although he said he did not know its “motives or objectives.”

Prasetyo also announced that Prabowo had signed a presidential decree dismissing Listyo as presidential chief of staff after he was named a suspect in the alleged wiretapping conducted outside required procedures.

“This morning, the president made a decision and signed a presidential decree concerning the dismissal of Listyo Sigit Prabowo from his position as presidential chief of staff,” Prasetyo said.

Prabowo appointed Army Lt. Gen. Ariyo Windutomo as acting presidential chief of staff to fill the vacancy temporarily.

Listyo had previously been named as one of the suspects in alleged wiretapping targeting Prabowo and several other state officials.

The supplied account identifies the other two suspects as National Police Legal Division chief Insp. Gen. Ahrie Sonta Nasution and Insp. Gen. Eko Hadi Santoso. The police statement quoted below, however, identifies the suspects only by their initials.

At a news conference on Tuesday evening, November 3, National Police Criminal Investigation Agency chief Insp. Gen. Asep Safrudin disclosed the initials without providing the suspects’ full names.

“Based on the preliminary inquiry and our handling of the case, investigators have named three suspects. Their initials are LSP, ASN and EH. One other person remains a witness,” he said.

Asep said the three suspects were being held at the National Police headquarters detention center for further questioning.

The case emerged from a police officer’s report concerning suspected illegal wiretapping, deletion of electronic data and unauthorized access on October 30, 2026.

The National Police Criminal Investigation Agency, known as Bareskrim, subsequently conducted a preliminary inquiry and a formal investigation, questioning 10 witnesses and three expert witnesses.

Investigators also seized 11 mobile phones, one iPad and four USB flash drives.

Shortly afterward, Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the public could draw its own conclusions about the identities of the three suspects.

The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, known by its Indonesian acronym YLBHI, said the case “reveals fundamental problems in the use of law enforcement powers and surveillance technology by state authorities.”

“If proven, the use of wiretapping equipment without a legal basis or legitimate purpose constitutes a human rights violation and an abuse of authority that must be subject to criminal and institutional accountability,” the foundation said in a written statement.

How Did the Alleged Wiretapping Unfold?

Between 2025 and 2026, Asep said, the suspects allegedly ordered wiretapping without following the procedures set out in National Police Chief Regulation No. 5 of 2010.

“Several telephone numbers were entered into the Lawful Interception Management System, or LIMS, server without verification…”

“Those numbers were intercepted without any connection to law enforcement, or without following the procedures for preliminary inquiries and criminal investigations under the applicable laws.”

In October 2026, the suspects allegedly ordered the deletion of intercepted files stored in the system.

Investigators allege that the suspects ordered the wiretapping without investigation orders or case reports.

“The wiretapping was then carried out without any connection to law enforcement, after which the logs were deleted to cover their tracks.”

Who Was Allegedly Targeted?

Asep said the suspects allegedly conducted “wiretapping outside required procedures, or illegal interception, of telephone numbers belonging to the president of the Republic of Indonesia.”

Other alleged targets included state officials, political figures, media organizations, leaders of community organizations, nongovernmental organizations and businesspeople.

What Charges Do the Suspects Face?

The suspects face charges under Article 258 of Law No. 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code. The supplied account puts the potential prison term at 10 years.

They also face charges under Article 332, paragraph one or two, of the same law, with a stated potential prison term of six years.

A further charge falls under Article 32, paragraph one, of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law, with a stated potential prison term of eight years.

How Has the Government Responded?

Yusril said Prabowo learned from National Police chief Suyudi Ario Seto that three police generals had allegedly wiretapped him.

After receiving the report, the president immediately instructed the police chief to pursue legal proceedings in accordance with the law.

“The president ordered firm legal action in accordance with the applicable laws and an objective investigation,” Yusril told a news conference at his office on Tuesday evening, November 3.

“The president certainly knows, because the police chief reported it to him,” he added.

Yusril said the alleged wiretapping of Prabowo and several ministers was a serious matter for the state and required a preliminary inquiry and a criminal investigation.

How Have Civil Society Groups Responded?

In a written statement, YLBHI said the alleged surveillance extended beyond the president and urged authorities to investigate other targets’ cases “with the same seriousness as the wiretapping of the president.”

“Wiretapping journalists and civil society organizations can expose sources’ identities, information about victims, legal aid strategies and networks of human rights defenders. Such practices create fear of speaking out, reporting wrongdoing, organizing and scrutinizing the government,” the foundation said.

“If used to monitor criticism or legitimate political activity, wiretapping becomes a tool for silencing dissent.”

YLBHI cited Article 28G, paragraph one, and Article 28E, paragraph three, of Indonesia’s 1945 Constitution as guarantees of protection for the person, honor, dignity and personal security, as well as freedom of expression, association and communication.

It also cited Article 32 of Law No. 39 of 1999 on Human Rights, which protects the confidentiality of communications, including electronic communications.

The foundation urged investigators to identify those who issued orders, controlled the operation and used the intercepted material.

“The naming of suspects in this case must be the starting point for uncovering the entire operation,” it said.

Meanwhile, the national secretariat of the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency, known as FITRA, warned of the threat posed by taxpayer-funded surveillance equipment being used to serve political interests.

“If those at the top of government can be wiretapped without clear reporting and accountability, what protection do ordinary citizens have? Such equipment can easily become a deadly weapon for silencing the public and destroying the foundations of democracy,” FITRA researcher Gurnadi Ridwan said in a statement on Wednesday, November 4, as quoted by Kompas.com.

Gurnadi called for a comprehensive review of the use and oversight of wiretapping technology across all state institutions authorized to conduct surveillance.

Who Is Listyo Sigit Prabowo?

Listyo Sigit Prabowo is a former chief of the Indonesian National Police who took office on January 27, 2021.

Born in Ambon, Maluku, on May 5, 1969, he graduated from the Police Academy in 1991.

Before becoming national police chief, Listyo held several senior posts, including local police chief, criminal investigations director, provincial police chief and head of Bareskrim.

His earlier appointments included Pati police chief in 2009 and deputy chief of the Semarang metropolitan police in 2010.

He became Surakarta police chief in 2011, before serving as head of Subdirectorate II at Bareskrim’s General Crimes Directorate in 2012 and director of general criminal investigations at the Southeast Sulawesi Police in 2013.

In 2014, Listyo was assigned to the Presidential Military Secretariat as an aide-de-camp to President Joko Widodo.

He held that role until 2016, when he became Banten police chief. In 2018, he was appointed head of the National Police’s Professional Standards and Internal Security Division.

On December 6, 2019, Listyo was appointed head of Bareskrim, replacing Idham Azis.

In January 2021, Joko Widodo submitted Listyo’s name to the House of Representatives as his sole nominee for national police chief.

Following a confirmation hearing before House Commission III, lawmakers approved his nomination unanimously.

Joko Widodo formally inaugurated Listyo as national police chief on January 27, 2021. The supplied account describes him as the longest-serving holder of the post in Indonesia’s post-1998 Reform era.

Who Is Insp. Gen. Ahrie Sonta?

Ahrie Sonta is a senior police officer and a 2002 Police Academy graduate who served as private secretary to former National Police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo and as an aide-de-camp to President Prabowo Subianto.

He was also appointed head of the National Police Legal Division with the rank of inspector general, a two-star rank. The appointment was part of a reshuffle involving 88 senior and mid-ranking police officers in October 2026.

His experience spans police operations, criminal investigations, narcotics enforcement and internal oversight.

Alongside his police service, he has pursued academic studies in law and police science through the doctoral level.

His career has drawn attention because he reached the rank of two-star general at a relatively young age.

Who Is Insp. Gen. Eko Hadi Santoso?

Eko Hadi Santoso currently serves as a senior instructor, designated Level I, at the Staff and Command School under the National Police Education and Training Institute.

He has held the teaching post since October 2026. He previously led Bareskrim’s Narcotics Crime Directorate for a year and a half before being transferred out of the role in late August 2026.

Eko graduated in 1996 as a member of the fourth cohort at Taruna Nusantara High School in Magelang, Central Java.

He graduated from the Police Academy in 1999 as a member of the Endra Dharmalaksana cohort.

Much of his career has focused on criminal investigations, particularly terrorism cases, and he initially became known as a counterterrorism officer.

Eko began appearing in news coverage in 2018 while serving as Tanjung Priok Port police chief with the rank of adjunct senior commissioner.

In August 2020, he was appointed head of the monitoring and evaluation section at Bareskrim’s operational management bureau.

In 2022, he was promoted to brigadier general and appointed to a senior Level II police information technology development post within the National Police’s Information and Communications Technology Division.

That year, Eko became the first member of the Police Academy’s 1999 graduating class to attain a one-star general’s rank.

Then-National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo appointed Eko as Bareskrim’s narcotics crime director through Telegram Order No. ST/488/III/KEP./2025, dated March 12, 2025.

The appointment attracted attention because Eko’s background was more closely associated with counterterrorism.

Under his leadership, the Narcotics Crime Directorate handled several cases involving international trafficking networks.

This article will be updated as further information becomes available.

BBC Indonesia | Indonesia Alyoum.