FITRA asks DPR and BPK to audit Rp36.1 trillion in state surveillance procurement
The budget watchdog says spending on intelligence and surveillance technology across four institutions was mostly awarded through direct appointment, in the middle of the wiretapping scandal.
Budget watchdog FITRA has asked the House of Representatives and the state audit board to audit procurement of intelligence and surveillance technology worth Rp36.1 trillion spread across the National Cyber Agency, the Defense Ministry, the Attorney General's Office and the National Police. The figure comes from joint research by FITRA and ELSAM, which found most of the spending was awarded through direct appointment on secrecy grounds, citing a defense ministry regulation from 2022 and a police regulation from 2024.
FITRA highlights five problems: budgets that are difficult to verify, unvalidated prices, concentrated authority, weak oversight of classified procurement, and limited public reporting. The call comes amid the alleged wiretapping scandal involving state officials, in which police named additional suspects in early November. The organization argues that greater transparency in security technology procurement is needed to restore public trust, and says the audit should examine both the value and the specifications of the equipment purchased.