Indonesian authorities have arrested three people for allegedly tapping President Prabowo Subianto’s phone, police said Tuesday, 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 Southeast Asian archipelago.
Top detective 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.
Deleted traces
Prabowo has in recent weeks faced mounting protests against economic hardship, graft, perceived authoritarianism and his government’s handling of months of devastating wildfires emitting a toxic haze that has made thousands ill.
Two years into his term, Prabowo’s popularity has reached record lows.
His government has also come under fire from politicians in neighbouring countries as the wildfires have polluted the air as far as Malaysia, Singapore, East Timor and the Philippines.
Asep said the suspects are alleged “to have ordered wiretaps without an official written request from investigators”. They were then carried out beginning in 2025 “without any connection to law enforcement efforts”.
The suspects also “deleted traces of these actions in October 2026”, Asep said.
Prabowo, a former general himself, reshuffled his cabinet for a seventh time last month, appointing Listyo Sigit Prabowo as his chief of staff.
The 57-year-old is reported to be an ally of Prabowo’s predecessor and political rival Joko Widodo.
