Indonesia suspects fourth officer of bugging president
The case deepens political tensions surrounding President Prabowo Subianto and his predecessor Joko Widodo.
Listen to this article
There is no audio version yet. Request one and an AI voice will read the article aloud.
Read by an AI voice.
Indonesian police have named a fourth senior official as a suspect in an investigation into the alleged illegal bugging of President Prabowo Subianto. The authorities have not yet said who was behind the operation or what motive lay behind it.
The new suspect has the initials SU and, according to police, worked between 2010 and 2019 as head of the department overseeing internal affairs within Indonesia’s criminal investigation police. The announcement followed on Thursday, Reuters reported on Friday. The number of senior police officials being investigated in the case has therefore risen further.
Police suspect that the officials involved arranged for telephone conversations involving Prabowo and other prominent Indonesians to be intercepted without following the required procedures. Among the previously named suspects was Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who had shortly beforehand become the president’s chief of staff. He is not related to the president.
The case acquired additional political weight after the presidential palace earlier described the possible bugging operation as conduct that could amount to treason. That characterisation is a political interpretation, not a judicial ruling. A suspicion is not a finding of guilt.
According to Reuters, the scandal touches on the relationship between Prabowo and former president Joko Widodo, who had previously been an important political ally of his. Reuters says police are also investigating whether documents were removed to conceal the operation. The news agency reports that nothing has officially been disclosed about the precise content of intercepted conversations.
Reuters places the issue against a backdrop of growing criticism of Prabowo’s policies and concerns about the economic climate. Reuters describes Indonesia as an economy worth about $1.5 trillion, but that does not make the economic consequences of the case clear. The investigation must establish whether, and how, illegal bugging took place within the security services.
For Indonesia, the case is therefore larger than an internal police investigation. It touches on the limits of state power, oversight of the security services and the question of whether political rivalry is influencing law enforcement. Until police present public evidence and a motive, it remains unclear whether the case is primarily a security leak, a power struggle or both.
Also show the region and a close-up
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Police are investigating several senior officials over alleged illegal bugging.
- A fourth official was named as a suspect on 6 November.
- There has been no judicial ruling on guilt or motive.
Left
Arguments Emphasises that the security services need strong democratic oversight and that bugging without a transparent legal basis undermines the rule of law.
Values Civil rights, privacy and institutional oversight.
Consequences Fears the normalisation of political surveillance and calls for an independent investigation.
Centre
Arguments Wants to await the police investigation, but expects parliamentary and judicial oversight of the powers used.
Values Legal certainty, evidence and administrative stability.
Consequences Warns that political conclusions before the evidence could further damage the institutions.
Right
Arguments Emphasises national security and the possibility that infiltration or treason within the state must be dealt with swiftly.
Values Order, authority and protection of the head of state.
Consequences Fears that restraint could paralyse the security services, but may support tough measures provided evidence follows.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The core facts are based on Reuters and AP and are clearly attributed to police statements. Motive and guilt have not been presented as established facts.
Editor's note
The suspicion and the fourth suspect have been confirmed; the motive and scale of the bugging operation have not been established publicly.Sources
- Indonesia names fourth senior police officer as wiretapping suspect amid deepening political rifts — Reuters via Internazionale
- Indonesia deploys thousands of troops after generals arrested over wiretapping allegations — Associated Press
More on this in Dutch media
- AD — „indonesië prabowo subianto”
- de Volkskrant — „indonesië prabowo subianto”
- RTL Nieuws — „indonesië prabowo subianto”