Indonesia Moves 20,000 Troops to Jakarta Amid Wiretapping Probe
The deployment follows the detention of three senior police generals, including the president's chief of staff, who are accused of illegally monitoring calls made by President Prabowo Subianto and other prominent figures.
By Nikolai Patterson ·
More than 20,000 military personnel have been deployed to Jakarta to secure the capital. The large-scale movement of forces began Monday, coinciding with an investigation into an alleged wiretapping operation that targeted President Prabowo Subianto.
Vice Admiral Yayan Sofiyan, the navy operations assistant, confirmed the total number of troops and personnel in the city reached that figure by Wednesday. Authorities have not officially linked the deployment to the scandal, though the timing aligns with the unfolding investigation.
Major General Muhammad Nas, spokesperson for the Indonesian armed forces, described the troop movement as a standard procedure for maintaining national security. He did not provide additional details regarding specific units or their exact operational roles in the capital.
The investigation centers on three detained senior police generals. The officers are accused of illegally tapping the phones of the president, journalists, politicians, and businesspeople. Among the detainees is Listyo Sigit Prabowo, the president's current chief of staff. He is not related to the sitting president and assumed his new role last month after serving as the national police chief.
The presidential palace stated that the alleged wiretapping of the president could be regarded as an act tending towards treason. The suspects have not responded publicly to the allegations. If charged with unlawful surveillance, the officers could face prison sentences of up to 10 years.
Adrianus Meliala, a criminologist at the University of Indonesia and former commissioner of the National Police Commission, noted that the motive for the wiretapping has not yet been established. He suggested that the operation may have served interests outside the state or the National Police. Meliala said the case could reflect political maneuvering if the allegations against Listyo Sigit Prabowo are proven.
The senior minister for legal affairs confirmed that the government is still determining the specific motive behind the surveillance. The detained generals remain in custody while authorities review the evidence gathered during the investigation.
