Phone-Tapping Scandal Rocks Indonesian Politics as Four Police Officers Named

Indonesian police have named another senior officer as a suspect in a scandal involving the alleged phone-tapping and secret surveillance of President Prabowo Subianto, bringing the total number of suspects in the case to four. The controversy has also highlighted growing tensions between President Prabowo and his predecessor and former political ally, Joko Widodo, while raising concerns about national security.

According to media reports, Indonesian police announced the fourth suspect during a press conference on Thursday night, initially identifying the senior police officer only by the initials SU. Local media subsequently identified him as Salimit Oliandi. Police said SU served as head of monitoring at Indonesia’s Criminal Investigation Agency from 2010 to 2019 and later headed the agency’s Information Technology Unit from 2021 to 2026. Investigators allege that his approval was obtained for the secret surveillance of the president. Cybercrime Unit Director Suharminto told the press conference that the other two suspects had sought SU’s authorization before initiating the president’s phone surveillance. He added that the officer had also approved the deletion of records related to the monitoring operation. Police said SU had not yet been taken into custody because of health problems.

Three senior police officers had previously been arrested on Tuesday, including former National Police Chief and President Prabowo’s Chief of Staff, Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who is considered a close ally of former President Joko Widodo. Police are still investigating the motives behind the alleged attempts to secretly monitor the president’s communications. So far, authorities have questioned 13 police personnel and five specialists in criminal investigations and information technology. The National Police Chief has also established a special team to investigate the case.

The scandal has added to political pressure on President Prabowo, who is already facing growing public dissatisfaction over costly welfare policies and declining investor confidence in Indonesia’s economy, which is valued at approximately $1.5 trillion. Meanwhile, the situation in the capital, Jakarta, appeared relatively calm on Thursday and Friday. However, thousands of military personnel were deployed following the emergence of the scandal. Military tents and buses, along with a limited number of troops, were also seen across the city.

Prabowo Subianto assumed office after securing a landslide victory in the 2024 presidential election. He was widely regarded as a candidate who would continue the policies of former President Joko Widodo. Widodo’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, was also elected vice president alongside Prabowo. Separately, Indonesian lawmakers are considering an investigation into Raka’s eligibility to serve as vice president. Potential parliamentary proceedings in the matter are being viewed as a possible first step towards his removal from office.