Prabowo Dismisses Chief of Staff Listyo Sigit Over Unlawful Wiretapping as Palace and Opposition Converge on Treason Allegations

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto dismissed his Presidential Chief of Staff, retired Police General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, on Wednesday morning, hours after the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) named the former top cop a prime suspect in an unauthorized domestic surveillance operation targeting the head of state.

The swift executive order follows allegations that the surveillance network intercepted the private communications of the president, cabinet ministers, party leaders, civil society figures, and corporate executives between 2025 and 2026. Beyond its procedural gravity, the scandal has triggered an unexpected rhetorical convergence across Jakarta’s political divide: both the presidential palace and its sole legislative opposition characterized the illicit breach using the politically fraught terminology of state treason, signaling shifting currents within the capital's power balance.

The shared framing highlights an intriguing alignment between the administration and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the only parliamentary faction operating outside the governing alliance. As legal scrutiny intensifies around a chief of staff whose rapid institutional rise was closely woven into the inner circle of former President Joko Widodo, the sudden harmony of tone between the palace and Widodo’s estranged former party has drawn keen observation from political analysts tracking the unspoken fault lines shaping the succession landscape.

Palace and Opposition Allege Treason

Speaking to reporters at the Presidential Palace complex, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi confirmed that President Prabowo signed a presidential decree on Wednesday morning relieving Listyo Sigit of his official duties, describing the dismissal as the logical institutional consequence of criminal indictment.

"The President has signed the presidential decree regarding the dismissal of brother Listyo Sigit Prabowo in his capacity as Chief of the Presidential Staff," Prasetyo said.

Prasetyo went further, elevating the legal characterization of the breach from procedural misconduct to a severe offense against national sovereignty.

"We also view that what was committed may fall into a category that we could consider bordering on an act of treason (makar), as well as an act that endangers the security of state interests, including endangering the personal safety of the nation's leadership," Prasetyo told the press conference. "When we speak of the head of state, the leader of the country, there is a substantial amount of highly sensitive information that could potentially endanger the interests and sovereignty of the nation and the state."

Prasetyo’s choice of words mirrored remarks issued earlier in the day by PDI-P Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto. Speaking on behalf of the main opposition party, Hasto commended police investigators and declared that the eavesdropping crossed constitutional red lines.

"Because this illegal wiretapping was also directed at the President as the head of state and the head of government, this represents an act of treason (makar) that must not be tolerated under any circumstances, and the actors involved behind it must be thoroughly investigated," Hasto stated in a public video release.

Hasto argued that the uncovering of the clandestine network must serve as an inflection point to dismantle systemic practices where legal apparatuses might be deployed against political critics and civil society.

"Every public office, particularly one invested with the authority to exercise coercive power in the name of the state, must be grounded in morality, ethics, and statesmanship," Hasto noted. "Law enforcement institutions must be kept far from practical political agendas, personal or factional interests, including the power ambitions of former state officials."

Military Figure Installed as Interim Chief

To restore operational continuity inside the presidential executive office, President Prabowo appointed Lieutenant General Ariyo Windutomo as Acting Chief of the Presidential Staff. Windutomo currently serves concurrently as Presidential Secretary.

"For the interim, the President has appointed Lieutenant General Ariyo Windutomo," Prasetyo announced.

Prasetyo sought to reassure the public that routine policing and public services would remain insulated from the high-level legal fallout, following direct consultations with National Police Chief General Suyudi Ario Seto. He stressed that the illicit surveillance did not represent institutional policy, but the rogue conduct of individual actors within the ranks.

"We have also coordinated with the National Police Chief to ensure that, in particular, public services from the police institution will not diminish whatsoever," Prasetyo said. "We convey to the public that there is no need for concern, as this was conducted by certain individual rogue elements."

Detention and Calls for Broad Inquiry

Listyo Sigit Prabowo and two active two-star police generals—Head of the Police Legal Division Inspector General Ahrie Sonta and Police Staff College Principal Educator Inspector General Eko Hadi Santoso—remain detained at the Bareskrim detention facility in South Jakarta. Investigators have also questioned another individual, identified by the initial SU, as a witness.

The suspects face charges under Article 258 of the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP) concerning unlawful wiretapping, Article 332 regarding unauthorized electronic access, and Article 32 of the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law for electronic data interference and the alleged deletion of interception logs from police servers in October 2026.

As the legal proceedings advance, the religious establishment has joined calls for exhaustive accountability. The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) warned that unauthorized surveillance violates Islamic ethical principles regarding privacy, classifying it as tajassus—the prohibited act of spying on others without legitimate authority.

"Islamic teachings prohibit acts of surveillance without lawful authority; this constitutes an act of tajassus, which is strictly forbidden in the Qur'an, Surah Al-Hujurat verse 12," said Zainut Tauhid Sa'adi, Secretary of the MUI Advisory Council, in a written statement.

Calling the development a critical test for equality before the law, the council urged investigators to look past operational mechanics and expose the primary architects and geopolitical or domestic motivations behind the operation to prevent destabilizing speculation.