indian-origin-man-poses-as-cia-agent-to-bag-arms-deal

An Indian-origin businessman allegedly posed as a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative to cultivate ties with senior Indonesian leaders and pursue multibillion-dollar defence contracts, according to an investigation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

 

The report identified the businessman as Gaurav Srivastava, who allegedly presented himself as a CIA agent and used the identity to gain the trust of influential political and business figures, including Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto, who served as defence minister at the time.

 

According to the OCCRP investigation, based on civil lawsuits filed in California and New York by Srivastava's former business partner Niels Troost, the businessman accompanied Subianto to high-level meetings in Washington and Jakarta in 2020, where major defence procurement proposals were discussed.

 

The lawsuits allege that Srivastava claimed to have worked for the CIA, helped identify those responsible for the 2002 Bali bombings and played a role in securing the removal of Subianto from a US immigration blacklist.

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The report said Srivastava also developed links with prominent Indonesian businessman Hashim Djojohadikusumo, Subianto's brother, and secured multiple Letters of Intent and a Memorandum of Understanding between 2020 and 2022 for proposed defence projects.

 

The preliminary agreements reportedly covered the sale of 36 F-15 fighter jets, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, C-130 transport aircraft and the establishment of a military command and control centre.

 

However, the OCCRP report said the four companies linked to Srivastava were shell entities with no prior experience in defence procurement. It also noted that when the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced the proposed sale of F-15 fighter jets to Indonesia in 2022, none of Srivastava's companies featured in the official transaction.

 

The allegations stem from ongoing civil litigation and have not been adjudicated in court.