Indonesia mulls palace bug sweeps after presidential wiretaps

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Government acts to stop agencies misusing surveillance equipment after investigators pinpoint location of listening devices

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Indonesiawill tighten controls on state ⁠surveillance equipment and consider ⁠sweeps of its presidential palace for bugging ⁠devices, a minister said on Monday, following last week’s discovery of illegal wiretaps on the president, top officials and more.

The wiretapping scandal led to the arrest of four senior police officers accused of unauthorised monitoring of phones, among them a former national police chief ‌who had recently been appointed President Prabowo Subianto’s chief of staff.

The government had said that the wiretapping scandal pointed to treason. An investigation is underway and no formal charges have yet been announced.

Asked if authorities would sweep the presidential palace for covert electronic devices, senior minister for legal affairs Yusril Ihza Mahendra said “it is something we will consider as an anticipation measure”.

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