Troops deployed in Indonesia as president sacks aide accused of wiretapping

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s president sacked his chief of staff on Wednesday after his arrest in a wiretapping scandal that the government said pointed to treason, as the military said thousands of troops were being mobilised in the capital to boost security.

Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who was appointed chief of staff just a few weeks ago, was among three senior police officers detained on Tuesday accused of illegally tapping the phones of President Prabowo Subianto and unnamed journalists, politicians, government officials and business people since early 2025.

The illegal wiretaps were carried out by “rogue individuals” whose actions indicated treason, presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi said. “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.