Indian Businessman Allegedly Impersonates CIA Agent for Defense Contracts in Indonesia
Allegations Against Gaurav Srivastava
Gaurav Srivastava, a businessman of Indian descent, is accused of masquerading as a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative to forge connections with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. This alleged scheme aimed to secure a multibillion-dollar defense contract for fighter jets and military equipment, as reported by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). The claims arise from civil lawsuits initiated by Srivastava's former business partner, Niels Troost, in California and New York.
According to the lawsuits, Srivastava purportedly asserted in recorded phone calls that he was affiliated with the CIA. He allegedly leveraged these supposed credentials to gain access to high-ranking Indonesian officials. The legal documents indicate that he accompanied then-Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto to significant meetings in Washington, DC, and Jakarta in 2020, where discussions on defense procurement took place.
In the same year, Srivastava reportedly secured three letters of intent for Indonesia to acquire fighter jets and other military assets. He later obtained an additional letter of intent and a memorandum of understanding concerning two more defense procurement proposals in 2021 and 2022. However, the OCCRP report notes that none of these agreements led to actual purchases by the Indonesian government.
From 2020 to 2022, four companies owned by Srivastava allegedly received five preliminary defense agreements from Indonesia's Defense Ministry and a state-owned defense firm. During this timeframe, he was photographed with Prabowo and a company executive at a signing event, which was subsequently publicized at a press conference.
The proposed contracts included the provision of 36 F-15 fighter jets, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, C-130 transport aircraft, and the creation of a joint operations command and control center for Indonesia's Defense Ministry. In 2022, the United States greenlit a potential sale of 36 F-15 fighter jets and associated equipment to Indonesia, valued at approximately $13.9 billion.
Corporate records referenced in the report reveal that the four companies involved in the preliminary defense agreements were shell entities lacking prior experience in defense procurement. All four were later deregistered due to tax noncompliance and were absent from the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency's announcement regarding the proposed F-15 fighter jet sale. The legal complaint further alleges that Srivastava developed close relationships with prominent Indonesian business figures, including Prabowo's brother, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, who chairs the Arsari Group.