Troop deployment in Jakarta amid wiretapping scandal and political tensions

◆1 source

More than 20,000 Indonesian soldiers were placed on increased alert in Jakarta, with military vehicles deployed near the government complex. Authorities said the operation was a regular national-security measure, partly linked to upcoming military exercises, while critics associated it with heightened tensions over the alleged wiretapping of President Prabowo Subianto and a broader power struggle involving former president Joko Widodo.

Senior police officers, including Listyo Sigit, were arrested on suspicion of eavesdropping on Prabowo; the presidential palace called the alleged wiretapping treason and said those convicted could face execution by firing squad. At the same time, questions were being raised about the validity of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s diploma after a court ruling, with a possible parliamentary inquiry and dismissal in the most extreme case. Widodo appeared in a Jakarta court in a separate defamation case concerning accusations that his own diplomas were forged, as thousands of security personnel were deployed around the courthouse.

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Crime

Indonesia arrests three senior police officers over alleged wiretapping

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Indonesia arrested three senior police officers on suspicion of illegally intercepting communications, including those of President Prabowo and other prominent Indonesians. The alleged wiretapping was said to have occurred both before and after Prabowo took office, with phone numbers reportedly added to a police interception list without following required procedures. Authorities said the suspects later ordered the deletion of collected communications, allegedly to conceal evidence. Eleven phones, a tablet and four flash drives were seized. The suspects are the president’s chief of staff, the head of the police legal department and an instructor at the National Police Training Institute. They are being held at the national police headquarters and face several charges, including unlawful interception of restricted electronic communications and data deletion. The government said there was no evidence of treason or of an attempt to endanger Indonesia’s security. The most serious charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, while two other alleged violations carry maximum sentences of six years.