An Indian-origin businessman has been accused of posing as a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative to build close relationships with Indonesia’s top political leadership in an alleged bid to secure a multibillion-dollar defence contract.
According to a report by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), businessman Gaurav Srivastava falsely claimed to be associated with the CIA while cultivating ties with Indonesia’s current President Prabowo Subianto, who was serving as the country’s defence minister at the time.
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The report alleges that Srivastava, who reportedly referred to himself as “Mr G”, accompanied Prabowo to several high-level meetings in Washington, DC, and Jakarta in 2020. These meetings reportedly involved discussions on major military procurements, including fighter aircraft and other defence equipment.
The allegations stem from civil lawsuits filed in California and New York by Srivastava’s former business partner, Dutch commodities trader Niels Troost. Court filings cited in the OCCRP report claim Troost granted Srivastava a 50 per cent ownership stake in one of his companies after believing he had influential connections within the US intelligence community.
The report further alleges that Srivastava used his claimed CIA affiliation to gain credibility and strengthen his access to senior government officials. However, the allegations have emerged through ongoing civil litigation and have not resulted in any criminal conviction.
Neither Indonesian authorities nor US officials have publicly confirmed the claims. The allegations remain part of legal proceedings in the United States, while the OCCRP report has brought renewed attention to Srivastava’s purported role in international defence-related negotiations.
