Indonesia's Wiretapping Scandal Widens as Military Sends More Than 20,000 Troops Into Jakarta; Officials Deny Link to Probe
JAKARTA — Indonesia's military is deploying 20,980 troops to the capital, Jakarta, with another 13,140 personnel on standby. Navy operations assistant Vice Admiral Yayan Sofiyan said the first phase began on Monday, November 2, with 2,100 personnel from units already stationed in Jakarta, and that troops from outside the capital began arriving on Wednesday, November 4; the reinforcements include marine and navy units as well as personnel from training centers and naval bases in Java and Lampung province. A military spokesperson described the movement as a routine measure to safeguard national security and territorial integrity; officials have not confirmed any connection between the deployment and the wiretapping investigation.
The deployment comes as the investigation continues into the alleged illegal wiretapping of President Prabowo Subianto. Police announced late on Tuesday, November 3, the detention of three senior officers, including former police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who had been appointed presidential chief of staff just over a month earlier, along with Ahrie Sonta Nasution and Eko Hadi Santoso. The three are accused of illegally wiretapping the president, cabinet ministers, journalists, politicians and businesspeople between 2025 and 2026, entering telephone numbers into the police's Lawful Interception Management System without the required verification and authorization procedures, and ordering the deletion of intercepted communications records in October to conceal evidence. The charges carry up to 10 years in prison.
Prabowo dismissed Listyo as chief of staff on November 4 (see this outlet's November 4 report); the presidential palace said the conduct could amount to an act tending toward treason. Yusril Ihza Mahendra, the senior minister for legal affairs, said investigators had found no indication of treason and that the motive for the wiretapping remained unclear.
On Thursday, November 5, 6,770 police and military personnel were deployed to secure a court hearing involving former President Joko Widodo. East Jakarta Police Chief Alfian Nurrizal said the deployment was simply a precautionary measure in view of potential security risks and large crowds, and that most of the forces were being held on standby.
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Source: Indonesian National Armed Forces
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：印度尼西亚军人（资料图）。Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 2.0。 / Photo: Indonesian soldiers (file photo). Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
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- 2026-11-05Indonesia's Wiretapping Scandal Widens as Military Sends More Than 20,000 Troops Into Jakarta; Officials Deny Link to ProbeThis story
