An Indian-origin businessman accused of posing as a CIA agent allegedly managed to get preliminary defence deals worth billions of dollars in Indonesia after developing ties with senior officials.
Indian-origin businessman Gaurav Srivastava allegedly pretended to be a CIA agent to secure deals from now-Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
Meetings with Prabowo Srivastava introduced himself to Indonesian officials and business figures as a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent, as per Tempo.
Defence procurement agreements Between 2020 and 2022, companies controlled by Srivastava secured five preliminary agreements from Indonesia's Defence Ministry and a state-owned defence company, according to the OCCRP-Tempo investigation.
The proposed deals included 36 F-15 fighter jets, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, C-130 transport aircraft and a joint operations command and control centre for Indonesia's Defence Ministry.
An Indian-origin businessman accused of posing as a CIA agent allegedly managed to get preliminary defence deals worth billions of dollars in Indonesia after developing ties with senior officials. Indian-origin businessman Gaurav Srivastava allegedly pretended to be a CIA agent to secure deals from now-Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. (Atlantic Council)
Gaurav Srivastava built a relationship with Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto when he was the country's defence minister, according to a joint investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and Indonesian publication Tempo.
The preliminary agreements included plans to procure fighter jets, helicopters, transport aircraft and military command systems.
Meetings with Prabowo Srivastava introduced himself to Indonesian officials and business figures as a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent, as per Tempo. The report said he developed a relationship with Prabowo, who reportedly nicknamed him "Mr G".
Dutch oil trader Niels Troost said he accompanied Srivastava to Prabowo Subianto's residence at the Garuda Yaksa estate in Hambalang, West Java, in mid-2022, Tempo reported.
Troost told the publication that Srivastava claimed he frequently visited and stayed at Prabowo Subianto's place. During the drive, Srivastava allegedly said he helped identify those responsible for the 2002 Bali bombings and played a role in getting Prabowo removed from a long-standing US immigration blacklist. He was in the list for around two decades over allegations linked to human rights abuses during his military career.
Troost also alleged that Srivastava spoke about Prabowo Subianto's habits, known only to his close ones, before they arrived at the house. The habits included his belief that spider webs inside the house should not be removed because they were part of nature.
Defence procurement agreements Between 2020 and 2022, companies controlled by Srivastava secured five preliminary agreements from Indonesia's Defence Ministry and a state-owned defence company, according to the OCCRP-Tempo investigation.
The ministry issued three Letters of Intention to Purchase in 2020, followed by another letter of intent and a memorandum of understanding in 2021 and 2022.
The proposed deals included 36 F-15 fighter jets, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, C-130 transport aircraft and a joint operations command and control centre for Indonesia's Defence Ministry.
Photos reviewed by the investigators showed Srivastava attending signing ceremonies with Prabowo and executives from one of his companies.
