Three high-ranking Indonesian police officers face criminal charges following an investigation into illegal electronic access and wiretapping targeting President Prabowo Subianto, ANTARA News reported on November 3, 2026.
The case unfolds weeks after a leadership transition within the force. Investigators from the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency, known as Bareskrim, named the suspects following witness interrogations and evidence seizures, placing them in detention at police headquarters in Jakarta.
Who Stands Accused in the Wiretapping Operation
The investigation centers on three senior figures whose initials were released by Bareskrim head Commissioner General Asep Safrudin. According to Kompas, the suspects are General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who serves as the Chief of the Presidential Staff; Inspector General Ahrie Sonta, the Head of the Legal Division of the National Police; and Inspector General Eko Hadi Santoso, a Senior Police Instructor at the Police Education and Training Institute.
Tempo reported that Ahrie Sonta has been placed under special custody at the Mobile Brimob Command Headquarters in Kelapa Dua, Depok. Meanwhile, former National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo entered the Bareskrim building on Tuesday morning for brief questioning by investigators. Another former senior official, Inspector General Slamet Uliandi, remains under examination as a witness.
Security around the capital’s law enforcement installations has tightened visibly. Tempo noted that authorities positioned a Barracuda armored personnel carrier at several gates of National Police Headquarters starting Monday, November 2, 2026.
The Charges and the Scope of the Breach
Investigators accuse the detained officers of conducting unauthorized surveillance that extended far beyond the executive office. Asep Safrudin stated that the suspects targeted not only President Prabowo and state officials, but also political figures, media representatives, community leaders, nongovernmental organizations, and business figures, as reported by Kompas.
The legal framework deployed against the suspects relies on multiple statutes. The suspects face charges under Article 258 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code, which criminalizes the unlawful listening, recording, diversion, alteration, or disruption of non-public electronic information, carrying penalties of up to 10 years in prison. The suspects also face charges under Article 332 of the Criminal Code and Article 32 of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law for the unauthorized alteration, destruction, or removal of electronic data.
Minister Confirms President Ordered Strict Legal Path
Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra confirmed that President Prabowo was fully aware of the surveillance operation. Speaking at a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday, Yusril stated that National Police Chief General Suyudi Ario Seto reported the breach directly to the head of state.
“Of course the President knows, as it was reported to him by the National Police Chief,” Yusril said.
Yusril added that President Prabowo commanded the police leadership to pursue a strict legal path in accordance with applicable regulations. Before the formal announcements, uncertainty surrounded the status of several high-ranking personnel. National Police spokesman Inspector General Johnny Eddizon Isir initially declined to confirm whether a four-star general had been detained, promising an evening briefing to clear up conflicting accounts regarding internal detentions.
