Illegal wiretapping case shows no indication of treason: Minister

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4 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra said an alleged illegal wiretapping operation involving three police officers showed no indication of treason.

He said the suspects faced charges solely for unlawful surveillance and interception under Indonesia’s Criminal Code (KUHP) and Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law.

“We want to assure the public that, so far, the charges relate strictly to illegal surveillance and interception under both the KUHP and the ITE Law. There are absolutely no charges related to treason,” Mahendra told a press conference on Tuesday.

He explained that Indonesian law defines treason through three specific offenses: attempts against the president’s safety, efforts to overthrow the legitimate government, and armed rebellion aimed at separating territory from Indonesia.

“However, to date, there is no evidence pointing to such actions. This is purely a case of illegal wiretapping,” he said.

Regarding the contents of intercepted conversations and intelligence obtained, Mahendra deferred to law enforcement, saying such disclosures fell under the authority of the Indonesian National Police (Polri).

Earlier on Tuesday, the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri) named three officers, identified by their initials LSP, ASN and EH, as suspects in unlawful interception, unauthorized access and evidence tampering.

Bareskrim Chief Commissioner General Asep Safrudin said the suspects had allegedly targeted several prominent figures, including President Prabowo Subianto.

“The suspects allegedly intercepted phone numbers belonging to the president, state officials, political figures, media representatives, civic group leaders, nongovernmental organizations and businesspeople,” Safrudin said.

The suspects face charges under Articles 258 and 332 of Law No. 1/2023, Indonesia’s Criminal Code, and Article 32 of the ITE Law. They face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

All three suspects are being held at National Police headquarters in Jakarta. Investigators have also questioned a fourth individual, identified as SU, who remains a witness in the investigation.