Businessman Who Posed as CIA Agent Secured Defence Deals with Indonesian President

A businessman who allegedly posed as a CIA agent cultivated a relationship with President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto and secured preliminary agreements from the government to purchase tens of billions of dollars worth of fighter jets and other military equipment, according to an investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

The businessman, Gaurav Srivastava, did not respond to requests for comment on his Indonesian activities, OCCRP reported. On his website, Srivastava has stated that accusations he pretended to be a CIA agent were "gross fabrications" spread by his former business partner, Niels Troost.

Civil lawsuits filed by Troost in California and the Southern District of New York include references to recorded phone calls he collected as evidence in which Srivastava allegedly claimed to work for the CIA.

Ties to Indonesia's Most Powerful Family

Srivastava joined Prabowo, then defence minister, in high-level meetings in Washington DC and Jakarta in 2020 where military procurement was discussed. He received three "Letters of Intention to Purchase" the same year, spelling out plans for the Indonesian government to acquire fighter jets and other defence materiel.

He secured another letter of intent and a memorandum of understanding for two other defence procurement arrangements in 2021 and 2022. None of the agreements ultimately resulted in purchases by the Indonesian government.

A spokesperson for Indonesia's Ministry of Defense, Rico Sirait, confirmed the existence of the preliminary agreements but stressed they did not constitute a binding contract. "The entire process of Indonesian defense cooperation and procurement is always carried out with utmost caution, prioritizing the principles of good governance, national interest, and compliance with applicable mechanisms and regulations," he told Tempo, OCCRP's Indonesian partner.

Srivastava also developed ties with leading Indonesian business figures, including Hashim Djojohadikusumo, Prabowo's brother, who chairs the Arsari Group.

Defence Deals and Financial Dealings

Over the course of 2020 and 2022, companies owned by Srivastava secured five preliminary agreements from Indonesia's Defence Ministry and a state-owned defence company. Prabowo was photographed with Srivastava and the company's chief executive at a signing ceremony.

The proposed agreements covered 36 F-15 fighter jets, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, and C-130 transport planes. In 2022, the US government announced its approval for the potential sale of 36 F-15 fighter jets along with their spare parts, which would have been worth $13.9 billion in total. The announcement from the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency did not mention Srivastava's companies.

Corporate records show the four companies controlled by Srivastava that secured the agreements were shell companies with no experience in defence procurement. All have since been deregistered after failing to pay tax.

Troost's legal complaint explains that he was convinced Srivastava was a well-connected CIA operative, and he transferred 50 per cent of his company to him, believing he could help the business. Srivastava then "orchestrated" a $51-million loan from their company to the Arsari Group, the complaint says. Troost claims Srivastava told him the loan would help fund a covert US government program.

However, according to the complaint, Srivastava allegedly convinced Arsari Group to transfer almost half the loan to him and then used it to buy a $25-million mansion in Los Angeles. He tried to convince the Arsari Group to transfer the remainder of the loan to him, but the company refused.

Indonesia's money laundering authority told Tempo it is looking into the transaction, and if they find evidence of wrongdoing, they will refer it to law enforcement.

Denials and Counter-Accusations

Although Srivastava did not reply to requests for comment, he has accused Troost on his website of perpetrating "an aggressive, scorched-earth disinformation campaign," which began with legal complaints in the US, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. In his California civil case, Troost calls Srivastava a "brazen con man of remarkable skill".

Prabowo did not answer multiple requests for comment. Hashim Djojohadikusumo also did not respond to requests for comment.