A businessman accused of posing as a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative allegedly cultivated close ties with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and secured preliminary agreements for defence procurements worth tens of billions of dollars, according to a report by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and its Indonesian partner, Tempo.
The businessman, Gaurav Srivastava, has denied the allegations. On his website, he described claims that he impersonated a CIA agent as “gross fabrications” orchestrated by his former business partner, Niels Troost.
Troost was previously sanctioned by the United Kingdom, the European Union and Switzerland over Russian oil trading, although the sanctions imposed by the EU and Switzerland have since been lifted.
Alleged CIA Claims Surface In Civil Lawsuits
According to civil lawsuits filed by Troost in California and the Southern District of New York, recorded telephone conversations submitted as evidence allegedly captured Srivastava claiming to work for the CIA.
The lawsuits state that Troost believed Srivastava was a well-connected intelligence operative capable of opening doors for their business, leading him to transfer a 50 per cent stake in his company to Srivastava.
Troost later described Srivastava in court filings as a “brazen con man of remarkable skill”.
Preliminary Defence Agreements Signed
The OCCRP report states that Srivastava accompanied Prabowo, who was Indonesia’s Defence Minister at the time, during senior-level meetings in Washington, DC, and Jakarta in 2020, where defence procurement was discussed.
That year, companies controlled by Srivastava reportedly received three Letters of Intention to Purchase from the Indonesian government. Additional letters of intent and a memorandum of understanding were secured in 2021 and 2022.
The proposed agreements covered the possible procurement of 36 F-15 fighter aircraft, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, C-130 transport aircraft, and a joint operations command-and-control centre for Indonesia’s Defence Ministry.
However, none of the preliminary agreements resulted in final procurement contracts.
Indonesian Defence Ministry Responds
Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed the existence of the preliminary agreements but emphasised that they were non-binding and did not constitute procurement contracts.
Ministry spokesperson Rico Sirait told Tempo that all defence acquisitions are conducted with “utmost caution”, while adhering to principles of good governance, national interest and applicable regulations.
Prabowo did not respond to multiple requests for comment, according to the report.
Shell Companies And Defence Deals
Corporate records cited in the investigation show that four companies controlled by Srivastava, which obtained the preliminary agreements, were allegedly shell companies with no prior experience in defence procurement.
The report says all four companies were subsequently deregistered after failing to pay taxes.
Separately, the US government approved the potential sale of 36 F-15 fighter jets to Indonesia in 2022, with an estimated value of USD 13.9 billion. The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency’s announcement did not mention Srivastava’s companies.
Loan To Indonesian Business Group Under Scrutiny
The investigation also alleges that Srivastava developed ties with Indonesian businessman Hashim Djojohadikusumo, Prabowo’s brother and chairman of the Arsari Group.
According to Troost’s legal complaint, Srivastava allegedly arranged a USD 51 million loan from their company to the Arsari Group, claiming it would support a covert US government programme.
The complaint further alleges that Srivastava persuaded the Arsari Group to transfer nearly half of the loan proceeds to him, money that was allegedly used to purchase a USD 25 million mansion in Los Angeles. It also claims he later sought the remaining funds, but the Arsari Group declined.
Indonesia’s anti-money laundering agency told Tempo it is examining the transaction and will refer the matter to law enforcement if evidence of wrongdoing is found.
Hashim Djojohadikusumo did not respond to requests for comment.
Srivastava Rejects Allegations
Although Srivastava did not respond directly to questions from reporters, he has denied all allegations on his website, accusing Troost of conducting what he described as an “aggressive, scorched-earth disinformation campaign” through legal proceedings in the United States, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.
The allegations remain the subject of ongoing civil litigation, and no criminal findings related to the claims have been established in the report.
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