Prabowo sacks his chief of staff who allegedly wiretapped him

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has removed his chief of staff, Listyo Sigit, following accusations that Sigit was engaging in illegal wiretapping. The announcement was made during a press conference on November 4, with Aryo Windutomo taking over as acting chief of staff, according to Indonesian news agency Kompas. Sigit allegedly targeted various individuals, including state officials, political leaders, media personnel, and leaders of civil society organisations with his wiretapping activities.

Two high-ranking Indonesian police officers, Inspector General Ahrie Sonta Nasution and Inspector General Eko Hadi Santoso, were also suspected of involvement in the alleged wiretapping case, which police believe took place throughout 2025 and 2026.

The investigation revealed that the suspects deleted evidence of the wiretapping using the Lawful Interception Management System (LIMS), a platform used for handling interception requests and distributing information to authorized agencies for investigations. Police seized 11 mobile phones, one iPad tablet, and four USB flash drives from the suspects. They face charges under Indonesian law and could be sentenced to up to six years in prison, with an additional potential charge carrying a term of up to eight years.

Listyo Sigit was sworn in as Prabowo's chief of staff on October 1, 2026, and previously held the position of head of the Indonesian National Police. State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi stated that the actions of the suspects could be considered close to treason. Prabowo expressed deep concern over the ongoing investigations and questioned the state of Indonesian politics, calling for the revival of civilised politics.

Former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono took to social media, expressing worry about the state of Indonesian politics and urging Prabowo to address the issue.