TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - After Tempo published an investigative report titled "Kisah Agen CIA Palsu Menyusup ke Prabowo dan Elite Indonesia” (The Fake CIA Agent Infiltrated Prabowo’s Family and the Indonesian Elite), online content refuting the exposé began flooding social media. The investigation uncovered a scam by Gaurav Srivastava, a fraudulent Central Intelligence Agency agent, targeting President Prabowo Subianto.
On platform X, the account @epiiee118172 posted content denying that President Prabowo Subianto was swindled by Gaurav Srivastava. "There were no financial losses or binding agreements made with the fraudulent company," wrote the account, which has 10 followers, on Monday, July 6, 2026, at 2:37 p.m. WIB.
The post embedded a link to a Kompasiana blog post titled "Meluruskan Fakta, Prabowo Ternyata Tak Pernah Tertipu Gaurav Srivastava" (Straightening the Facts: Prabowo Was Never Fooled by Gaurav Srivastava), accompanied by the hashtag #HoaxPenipuanPresiden. The post appeared less than an hour after the Kompasiana article was published.
Tempo's Fact Check Team attempted to reach out to @epiiee118172. However, the account user blocked direct messages and ignored interview requests left in the post's comments section.
Over the next three hours, 55 other accounts posted 114 tweets bearing the exact same hashtag. All posting activity ceased at 5:42 p.m. WIB. During that same timeframe, posts featuring #HoaxPenipuanPresiden appeared at least 44 times on Instagram. A total of 21 accounts promoted the hashtag.
A screenshot of Instagram posts carrying the hashtag #HoaxPenipuanPresiden following the publication of Tempo’s investigative report on fake CIA agent Gaurav Srivastava published on June 28, 2026. [Source: Instagram]
Tempo's Fact Check Team investigated the network of accounts on X and Instagram amplifying #HoaxPenipuanPresiden between July 6 and 7, 2026. Collaborating with the Monash Data and Democracy Research Hub (MDDRH), Tempo extracted data from X using the social media monitoring platform Brandwatch. Instagram data was collected in partnership with ThinkFi, an analytics firm based in India.
Findings indicate that the postings were suspected to be part of a coordinated social media influence campaign. The accounts also acted in tandem to counter the joint investigative report published by Tempo and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
The investigative report, released on June 28, 2026, exposed the scheme of Gaurav Srivastava, an Indian-born American citizen masquerading as an unofficial CIA officer. Under this pretense, Srivastava cultivated close ties with Prabowo Subianto during his tenure as Defense Minister, as well as his brother, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, starting in 2020.
Was Gaurav Srivastava's deception of Prabowo Subianto during his time as Defense Minister truly a hoax?
The Main Narrative of Pro-Prabowo and Military Accounts
A total of 115 posts on X pushed this narrative through three distinct formats. First, 44 posts included direct links to the Kompasiana article. Published at 1:45 p.m. on July 6, 2026, the article was written by an author using the moniker Pak Be (Mr. Be).
The user created their Kompasiana account on March 15, 2024. Since joining, Mr. Be has authored 90 articles, all supporting government initiatives and debunking negative reports concerning President Prabowo. On July 5, 2026, for instance, he published an article asserting that Prabowo had fulfilled his promises to the public. A day prior, he wrote that Prabowo firmly controlled the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program.
Tempo requested a response from Mr. Be's account via Kompasiana's messaging service. However, as of Tuesday afternoon, July 14, 2026, the account had not responded.
Time distribution of #HoaxPenipuanPresiden posts - July 6, 2026 (WIB)
Data visualization showing posts with the hashtag #HoaxPenipuanPresiden on July 6, 2026, which spiked within a three-hour window. [Data processed via Claude AI]
Under the second pattern, 55 posts featured infographics highlighting an official statement from Brig. Gen. Rico Sirait, the Ministry of Defense's Public Information Bureau Chief. The graphic was headlined, "Kemenhan Bantah Ada Kontrak dengan Perusahaan Gaurav Srivastava, Penipu Global" (Defense Ministry Denies Contract with Company of Global Fraudster Gaurav Srivastava).
Meanwhile, the third pattern consisted of 11 video uploads featuring footage of Prabowo inspecting a fighter jet set against narration echoing Rico's statement. This format also dominated the campaign on Instagram.
The contents of both the infographics and videos acknowledged that the Ministry of Defense had indeed signed a Letter of Intent (LoI). However, they framed the document as a purely exploratory agreement. They maintained that no binding contract was ever finalized between the Defense Ministry under Prabowo's leadership and Srivastava's firm.
The Defense Ministry stated that every collaboration is evaluated carefully and that corporate backgrounds are thoroughly vetted. "So, the claim that Prabowo was deceived is clearly untrue. The public should not be fooled by dubious narratives," the video narrator proclaimed.
Tempo and OCCRP Investigation Findings
Tempo collaborated with an independent Indian journalist to track Srivastava's activities starting in February 2026. The investigation involved interviews with dozens of sources in Indonesia and abroad. The team reviewed internal documents, email exchanges, photographs, court records, and open-source intelligence.
The connection between Srivastava and Prabowo began in 2020. Their proximity was documented across various engagements, including Prabowo's official visit to the United States in 2020 and the Global Resilience Forum in Bali in 2022. Srivastava also made frequent visits to Prabowo's private residence in Hambalang, Bogor Regency, West Java.
Prabowo traveled to Washington in October 2020 after accepting an invitation from Srivastava. During the visit, Prabowo met with US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to discuss military modernization.
Following that meeting, Prabowo delivered a presentation on defense technology. According to two sources present at the event who spoke to Tempo, Prabowo and Srivastava were seated side by side during several sessions.
Srivastava was again present at Prabowo's private residence on Jalan Kertanegara, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, when acting US Defense Secretary Christopher Miller visited in December 2020. Photographs obtained by Tempo confirm Srivastava's presence at the meeting discussing the potential sale of American fighter jets to Indonesia.
Prabowo Subianto (left), then serving as Minister of Defense, and Gaurav Srivastava at the Global Food Security Forum in Bali, 2022. Doc. Kemhan.go.id
Less than two weeks after Miller's visit to Jakarta, the Ministry of Defense issued three official letters. Dated December 22 and 23, 2020, the documents comprised two Letters of Agreement and one Letter of Intent addressed to three entities associated with Srivastava.
In the first letter sent to Orbimo Corporation, the Defense Ministry expressed interest in purchasing 30 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. In the second letter, addressed to Constentis Corporation, the ministry outlined an intent to establish a joint operations command and control center.
The third letter, dispatched to Zegasus Corporation, detailed a proposal to purchase 36 F-15EX fighter jets. All three letters closed with identical phrasing: "This letter of intent constitutes a binding agreement regarding the procurement in question."
Tempo's findings reveal that the issuance of these three letters lacked basic due diligence. All three of Srivastava's companies were fictitious entities that were registered only after the Ministry of Defense had already issued the letters.
Furthermore, Srivastava has accumulated a history of legal troubles dating back to 2014, including involvement in breach of contract and fraud cases, as well as ignoring US court summonses. The full investigative report is available on Tempo.co and the OCCRP platform.
Flawed Vetting Claims
A researcher at the Indonesian Institute for Defense and Strategic Studies (Lesperssi), Beni Sukadis, noted that while Letters of Agreement and Letters of Intent may not carry final legal force, issuing them without proper vetting reflects a failure to examine corporate track records.
Beni argued that the Ministry of Defense failed to properly investigate Srivastava's background and history in defense procurement. He added that agreements involving military hardware require strict adherence to the precautionary principle.
"At that stage, Prabowo was already deceived because he authorized a statement of intent," Beni told Tempo via telephone on Monday, July 13, 2026.
Tempo contacted Brig. Gen. Rico Ricardo Sirait, Public Information Bureau Chief at the Ministry of Defense, seeking a response regarding the online narratives surrounding Srivastava's alleged fraud attempt targeting Prabowo. However, as of Tuesday morning, July 14, 2026, Rico had not replied.
Rosy Dewi contributed to this report.
This article is part of a collaborative program between the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet), Tempo, and the Monash Data & Democracy Research Hub.
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