Asep Safrudin, the agency's head, said the suspects were being investigated for illegally intercepting communications, accessing electronic systems without authorisation, and deleting electronic data. "The suspects are alleged to have carried out non-procedural or illegal tapping against the telephone numbers of the president of the Republic of Indonesia, state officials, political figures, media figures, community leaders, NGO activists and businesspeople," Asep Safrudin said.
Police identified the suspects as presidential chief of staff General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who served as police chief from 2021 to October this year; National Police legal division head Inspector General Ahrie Sonta Nasution; and Inspector General Eko Hadi Santoso, a senior instructor at the police education and training institute. All three were detained at the National Police headquarters detention centre.
Police alleged the unauthorised wire-tapping took place between 2025 and 2026, and Asep Safrudin said several telephone numbers were entered into the Lawful Interception Management System (LIMS) without verification. Asep Safrudin said the suspects also recently ordered the deletion of files containing intercepted communications from the LIMS system, allegedly to conceal evidence. Asep Safrudin said investigators had seized 11 mobile phones, an iPad and four flash drives.
Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra said investigators found no indication of treason in the case. Mahendra said the suspects would be charged under Article 258 of Indonesia's new criminal code, which prohibits unlawful interception and carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. They also face charges under Article 332, which carries a maximum penalty of six years in prison, and Article 32 of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law, which criminalises the unauthorised alteration, destruction, deletion, transfer or concealment of electronic information and carries a sentence of up to eight years.
Several civil society organisations said they condemned the alleged wire-tapping. “If proven, the use of wire-tapping equipment without a lawful basis or legitimate purpose would constitute a human rights violation and an abuse of authority, warranting both criminal and institutional accountability,” the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation said.
In 2009, Australian intelligence attempted to wire-tap the phone of then-President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, an incident that sparked a diplomatic uproar when it was revealed in 2013.