Over the course of 2020 and 2022, companies owned by Srivastava secured five preliminary agreements from Indonesia’s Defense Ministry, and a state-owned defence company. Prabowo was photographed with Srivastava and the company’s chief executive at a signing ceremony. The agreement was later announced at a press conference with the CEO.
The proposed agreements covered 36 F-15 fighter jets, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, and C-130 transport planes. In addition, one of Srivastava’s companies received a letter of intent to supply Indonesia’s defense ministry with a joint operations command and control center.
In 2022, the U.S. government announced its approval for the potential sale of 36 F-15 fighter jets along with their spare parts, which would have been worth $13.9 billion in total.
Corporate records show the four companies controlled by Srivastava that secured the five agreements were shell companies with no experience in defence procurement. All have since been deregistered after failing to pay tax. The announcement from the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency did not mention these companies.
Srivastava also developed ties with leading Indonesian business figures, including Hashim Djojohadikusumo, Prabowo’s brother, who chairs the Arsari Group.
Troost’s legal complaint explains that he was convinced Srivastava was a well-connected CIA operative, and he transferred 50 percent of his company to him believing he could help the business. Srivastava then “orchestrated” a $51-million loan from their company to the Arsari Group, the complaint says.
Troost claims Srivastava told him the $51-million loan would help fund a covert U.S. government program. However, according to the complaint, Srivastava allegedly convinced Arsari Group to transfer almost half the loan to him, and then used it to buy a $25-million mansion in Los Angeles.
According to the legal complaint, Srivastava tried to convince the Arsari Group to transfer the remainder of the loan to him, but the company refused.
Indonesia’s money laundering authority told Tempo it is looking into the transaction, and if they find evidence of wrongdoing they will refer it to law enforcement.
Hashim did not respond to requests for comment.
Although Srivastava did not reply to requests for comment, he has accused Troost on his website of perpetrating “an aggressive, scortched-earth [sic] disinformation campaign,” which began with legal complaints in the U.S., Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.
For his part, in his California civil case, Troost calls Srivastava a “brazen con man of remarkable skill.”