20,000 Troops Guard Jakarta Amid Wiretapping Probe
Indonesia’s military increased its presence in the capital as three senior police generals face detention over illegal surveillance targeting President Prabowo Subianto.
By Marco Ortega ·
More than 20,000 military and police personnel have been stationed in Jakarta since Monday. The deployment follows an investigation into an alleged wiretapping operation that targeted President Prabowo Subianto, journalists, politicians, and business leaders.
Vice Admiral Yayan Sofiyan, the navy operations assistant, confirmed the troop numbers as of Wednesday. While authorities have not officially linked the deployment to the scandal, Indonesian armed forces spokesperson Major General Muhammad Nas described the movement as standard procedure for maintaining national security.
Three senior police generals are currently detained. They face charges of unlawful surveillance, a crime that carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. Among those held is Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who served as national police chief until last month when he became the president’s chief of staff. He is not related to the president.
The presidential palace stated that tapping the president’s phone could be viewed as an act tending towards treason. The suspects have not responded publicly to the allegations. According to the senior minister for legal affairs, the government has not yet determined the motive behind the operation.
Adrianus Meliala, a criminologist at the University of Indonesia and former commissioner of the National Police Commission, suggested the surveillance served private interests. He stated there is a strong suspicion the wiretapping was not carried out for the state or the police, but for other parties.
Meliala noted that many were surprised by Listyo Sigit Prabowo’s inclusion among the suspects. He added that if the allegations are proven, the case can be understood as political maneuvering, requiring those involved to face the resulting political consequences.
