Airlangga: Wiretapping Affects Sentiment, Not Economic Fundamentals

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto said the alleged wiretapping of President Prabowo Subianto would affect the national economy more in terms of sentiment than fundamentals.

In economic terms, Airlangga said, the case could influence market participants’ perceptions of the Indonesian economy.

“Of course, the wiretapping is very regrettable. Its impact is not on the fundamentals but on sentiment, because psychological factors also influence the economy,” Airlangga told reporters at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs office in Jakarta on Friday.

Airlangga said the National Police had taken appropriate steps in handling the case, which he hoped would help mitigate the risk of negative perceptions of Indonesia’s economy.

He said he would remain focused on maintaining the national economy’s fundamentals.

“The important thing is that we safeguard the fundamentals,” he said.

Earlier, the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department named four suspects in connection with alleged illegal wiretapping, the deletion of electronic data and unlawful access. The suspects were identified by the initials LSP, AS, EH and SU.

The suspects are alleged to have illegally tapped the communications of the Indonesian President, state officials, political figures, media outlets, community organisation figures, non-governmental organisations and businesspeople between 2025 and 2026.

The alleged wiretapping was carried out without a request from investigators or an attached police report, and was unrelated to law-enforcement proceedings. The suspects are also alleged to have deleted the interception records to cover their tracks.

Suspect SU allegedly served as a member of the board of advisers of the National Police Criminal Investigation Department’s Monitoring Center and authorised the wiretapping and the deletion of its records.

National Police Chief General Suyudi Ario Seto has also formed a special team to conduct an in-depth investigation into the alleged illegal wiretapping of President Prabowo Subianto and businesspeople.

Trunoyudo said the team would examine the information carefully and professionally, in accordance with applicable law.