Troops deployed in Indonesia as president sacks aide accused of wiretapping
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s president sacked his chief of staff on Wednesday following his arrest in a wiretapping scandal that the government said pointed to treason, as the military announced that thousands of troops were being mobilised in the capital to boost security.
Indonesia's president, Prabowo Subianto, dismissed his chief of staff, Listyo Sigit Prabowo, on Wednesday following his arrest in a wiretapping scandal, according to the government. The arrest came as part of a probe into alleged treason, with three senior police officers detained on Tuesday for illegally tapping the phones of the president, unnamed journalists, politicians, government officials, and businesspeople since early 2025.
President Prabowo Subianto, a retired army general, has been under pressure from various fronts, including public discontent with his spending policies and a decline in investor confidence in the US$1.5 trillion economy. The wiretapping scandal has further complicated his situation, with the military mobilising thousands of troops in Jakarta to maintain security.
The government spokesperson, Prasetyo Hadi, stated that the illegal wiretaps were carried out by rogue individuals whose actions were considered treason and a threat to state interests and the nation's leadership. The suspects have not been named, and the motive for the wiretaps remains unclear. The scandal has also reignited political intrigue, with former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urging Prabowo to restore civility to Indonesian politics.
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