Prabowo's Staff Detained as 20,000 Soldiers Guard Jakarta
Authorities accused top police officials of illegally tapping the president's phone, triggering a massive security buildup in the capital.
By Jonathan Hoffmann ·
More than 20,000 military personnel now stand ready in Jakarta, a surge in force that began on Monday and expanded through Wednesday. The deployment coincides with a deepening investigation into illegal surveillance targeting President Prabowo Subianto. Vice Admiral Yayan Sofiyan, the navy operations assistant, confirmed the troop count exceeded the 20,000 threshold by the start of the new week.
The probe centers on three senior police generals detained for allegedly tapping the mobile phones of the president. Investigators say the operation also targeted journalists, politicians, and business figures. One of the detainees is Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who moved from the role of national police chief to the president's chief of staff last month. Officials clarified that he is not a relative of the sitting president.
The presidential palace characterized the wiretapping of the head of state as an act tending toward treason. In contrast, Major General Muhammad Nas, the spokesperson for the Indonesian armed forces, dismissed the idea that the troop movement is a direct reaction to the scandal. He described the deployment as a standard procedure designed to maintain national security.
Adrianus Meliala, a criminologist at the University of Indonesia, questioned the official narrative. He expressed strong suspicion that the wiretapping served the interests of private parties rather than the state. Meliala called the naming of Sigit as a suspect unexpected and suggested the case reflects political maneuvering. He noted that political figures must prepare for the consequences of such actions.
The senior minister for legal affairs stated that the government has not yet determined the specific motive behind the operation. The suspects have not issued public responses to the allegations. If convicted, they face charges of unlawful surveillance, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The incident has intensified scrutiny on the relationship between the military, police, and the presidential office. The administration is treating the security of the head of state with heightened gravity while legal proceedings against the detained generals move forward. The case currently awaits a final verdict and further official statements on the integrity of state communications.
