Indonesia president removes chief of staff after wiretapping scandal, military deployed in Jakarta

Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto removed his chief of staff on Wednesday, a day after he was detained along with two other senior police officers over allegations of illegally tapping the phones of the president and several other prominent figures.The government said the operation, which reportedly began in early 2025, pointed to possible treason, while the military announced the deployment of thousands of troops in Jakarta, Reuters reported.Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who had taken charge as chief of staff only weeks earlier, was among the three officers arrested on Tuesday. The alleged targets of the surveillance included journalists, politicians, governmentofficials and business people, besides President Prabowo. Their identities have not been disclosed.Presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi said the interceptions were the work of "rogue individuals" and suggested that the activity threatened the country's interests and leadership."It also tends toward acts that endanger state interests and the safety of the nation's leadership, including the safety of the head of state," Hadi told reporters.Reuters said it was unable to immediately reach the three detained officers or their lawyers for comment.The episode comes at a politically sensitive time for Prabowo, a retired army general, whose administration is facing growing public dissatisfaction over its populist spending policies. Investor confidence has also weakened amid concerns over the government's management of Indonesia's $1.5 trillion G20 economy.Prabowo won the 2024 presidential election by a large margin. However, his approval rating has fallen during his second year in office, amid concerns over rising food prices and difficulties with his free meals and village cooperatives programmes.Meanwhile, the Indonesian military said troops had been sent to Jakarta to maintain security and stability. Navy spokesperson Tunggul, who uses one name, said late on Wednesday that the deployment was intended to "safeguard and protect the stability of Indonesia's security".He also said the movement of troops was connected to training exercises scheduled in areas surrounding the capital.Authorities yet to establish motive for surveillanceThe government has not yet identified why the alleged wiretapping was carried out, senior minister for legal affairs Yusril Ihza Mahendra said.Police had said on Tuesday night that the three officers were under investigation for unauthorised interception of communications. They did not name the individuals whose phones were allegedly tapped, Reuters reported.Amnesty International in Indonesia called on the authorities to disclose the identities of those targeted, arguing that the public was entitled to know."If this scandal is allowed to continue unchecked, it could pave the way for a secret police apparatus used to tame the opposition," it said.Sana Jaffrey, a state-building researcher at the Australian National University, said the troop movement could point to apprehensions over a possible confrontation between the military and police personnel loyal to Listyo."If Prabowo increasingly sees threats to his personal security, then this could strengthen the case for relying more heavily on the military," she said. She added that the immediate risk was that the situation could escalate unintentionally.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.