Prabowo Wiretap Scandal Widens as Police Name a Fourth Senior Officer and Officials Raise Treason

Indonesian police have named a fourth senior officer as a suspect in the alleged wiretapping of President Prabowo Subianto, widening a case that has already led to the arrest of the country’s former national police chief and exposed a rift between Prabowo and his predecessor, Joko Widodo. The new suspect, identified by local media as Slamet Uliandi and by police by the initials SU, was named at a press conference late on Thursday, Nov. 5, CNA reported.

Police alleged that SU, who headed the Criminal Investigation Agency’s information technology unit from 2021 to 2026, approved the interception of the president’s communications and the later deletion of interception records. He has not been detained because of a health condition, which local reports described as a stroke. Investigators have questioned 13 police officers and five criminal and IT experts so far.

Who has been accused

The three suspects already in custody include Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who served as national police chief and then as President Prabowo’s chief of staff, according to CNA. He has been arrested and removed from his post. The two other detained officers have been identified by police only by their initials, ASN and EH. The suspects have not publicly responded to the allegations, and none has been tried.

The case reaches into the security establishment. The head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), Muhammad Herindra, said on Nov. 6 that tapping the president “may amount to treason,” according to the state news agency Antara !Unverified claim, Antara (Indonesian state news agency). State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi made similar remarks. Treason under Indonesian law can carry a life sentence or the death penalty, but no suspect has been charged with it.

Reporting by the BBC said the alleged surveillance was not limited to the president and also targeted politicians, journalists and civil society groups. The full list of targets has not been released.

The Prabowo-Jokowi rift

The investigation has sharpened tension between Prabowo and Widodo, the former president widely known as Jokowi, whose backing helped Prabowo win the 2024 election and whose son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is vice president. Listyo Sigit Prabowo was appointed police chief under Jokowi. Asked about the case, Jokowi said “we should all respect the ongoing legal process,” the BBC reported.

Lawmakers are considering a probe into Gibran’s eligibility for office, which CNA said could be a first step toward removing him. Thousands of troops were deployed in Jakarta after the wiretapping revelations, although the capital remained calm on Thursday and Friday, according to CNA.

Rival rallies in the capital

On Saturday, Nov. 7, a workers’ rally led by labor leader Said Iqbal came out in support of Prabowo, while a separate women’s march protested against the president, The Straits Times reported. The dueling demonstrations follow earlier protests over living costs and haze, including the Youth Pledge Day rally in Jakarta. Indonesia is also fighting forest fires in Kalimantan, where Australia has sent help, as covered in our report on the air tanker deployment to East Kalimantan.

What to watch

The key questions are who ordered the surveillance and why, which police have not yet answered. A formal treason charge would be a major escalation, as would any move against the vice president. With the military deployed in the capital and rival groups taking to the streets, how Prabowo handles the investigation will shape Indonesian politics well beyond this case. For more regional coverage, see our Southeast Asia page.

Sources

• CNA: Indonesia names fourth senior police officer as wiretapping suspect
• BBC News: Indonesia wiretapping scandal
• Antara: Intelligence chief warns tapping of Prabowo may amount to treason
• The Straits Times: Indonesian workers rally for Prabowo as women march against president