JAKARTA, November 04, 2026 (DAILYNWZ) — Indonesia deployed thousands of troops in the capital on Wednesday after President Prabowo Subianto dismissed his recently appointed chief of staff, who was arrested over an alleged illegal wiretapping operation targeting the president and several public figures.
The scandal has raised concerns about political stability and tensions within the government, as authorities investigate allegations that senior police officers secretly monitored the communications of politicians, journalists, officials and business figures.
Listyo Sigit Prabowo, a former national police chief appointed to the presidential chief of staff position only weeks ago, was among three senior police officers detained on Tuesday. They are accused of conducting unauthorised phone surveillance against President Prabowo and unnamed journalists, politicians, government officials and business people since early 2025.
Presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi said the surveillance had been carried out by “rogue individuals” and described the alleged operation as potentially involving treason.
“It also tends toward acts that endanger state interests and the safety of the nation’s leadership, including the safety of the head of state,” Hadi told reporters.
The government has not established the motive for the alleged wiretapping, senior legal affairs minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said.
The Indonesian military said troops had been deployed to Jakarta to “safeguard and protect the stability of Indonesia’s security”, navy spokesperson Tunggul said late Wednesday. He added that the deployment was also linked to upcoming military training in areas near the capital.
Military personnel are regularly deployed on Jakarta’s streets, particularly ahead of anti-government demonstrations.
The arrests come amid growing political tensions surrounding Prabowo, a retired army general and former special forces commander who won the presidency in 2024 by a large majority.
His administration has faced mounting public dissatisfaction over rising food prices and the implementation of major spending programmes, including free meals and village cooperatives. His approval ratings have also declined during his second year in office.
Investor confidence has weakened amid concerns about unpredictable policymaking and the government’s economic management. Indonesia, a $1.5 trillion G20 economy, has faced credit rating outlook cuts and sharp stock market losses following warnings by global index provider MSCI about a possible downgrade of its equities market.
The wiretapping scandal has also drawn attention to tensions between Prabowo and former president Joko Widodo, who served two terms and remains influential despite leaving office. Listyo was widely regarded as a loyalist of Widodo, who previously supported Prabowo.
Prabowo’s Gerindra party said it would consult other political parties over the allegations. Its secretary-general, Sugiono, described the scandal as “insubordination” within the government.
Former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged Prabowo in a post on X on Wednesday to “restore civility to our politics”.
Amnesty International’s Indonesian office called on authorities to disclose who had been targeted by the surveillance, saying the public had a right to know. It warned that unchecked wiretapping could pave the way for a secret police apparatus used to suppress political opposition.
Sana Jaffrey, a state-building researcher at the Australian National University, said the troop deployment could reflect concerns about tensions between the military and police officers loyal to Listyo.
If Prabowo increasingly perceived threats to his personal security, she said, he could become more reliant on the military, raising the risk of unintended escalation.