look news india
A sensational case of fraud in the name of international defense deals and intelligence agencies has come to light which has created a stir from Jakarta to Washington. Indian-origin businessman Gaurav Srivastava has been accused of becoming close to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto by posing as a secret agent of the American intelligence agency Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). According to an investigative report by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Srivastava used this fake identity to secure billion-dollar defense deals for fighter jets and state-of-the-art military equipment from the Indonesian government.
Exposed through phone calls and big revelations in court cases
This entire international conspiracy was exposed when Gaurav Srivastava’s former business partner Niels Trost filed cases in the courts of California and Southern District of New York. Based on these lawsuits and recorded phone calls, it has been claimed that Srivastava, posing as a powerful CIA operative, gained direct access to senior Indonesian officials and the then Defense Minister (now President) Prabowo Subianto. He also managed to attend the high-level defense meetings held in Washington DC and Jakarta in the year 2020, where major discussions were held on the purchase of military equipment.
F-15 fighter jets worth $13.9 billion acquired through shell companies
On the basis of his fake credentials, Srivastava, through his four companies, obtained five initial defense agreements, ‘Letter of Intent’ and one MoU from the Defense Ministry of Indonesia between the year 2020 and 2022. These proposed deals included the supply of 36 F-15 fighter jets, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, C-130 transport aircraft and a Joint Command Centre, with a total estimated value of about $13.9 billion (about Rs 1.15 lakh crore). However, later corporate investigation revealed that these four companies were mere ‘shell entities’ (paper companies) with no experience in the defense sector and their registration was also canceled due to non-payment of taxes. The matter of relief was that the Indonesian government did not make any actual payment or purchase under these.
Closeness to the President’s brother and the game of loan of 51 million dollars
According to court complaints, Gaurav Srivastava ensnared not only government officials but also some of Indonesia’s most influential businessmen. He developed a close relationship with Hashim Jojohadikusumo, brother of President Prabowo and chairman of Arsari Group. Falling prey to Srivastava’s alleged influence, his partner Trost transferred 50% of his company’s stake to him, after which Srivastava also got a loan of $51 million from that company to Arsari Group. On the other hand, Gaurav Srivastava has completely rejected all these allegations and called it a story fabricated by his former partner.
