Age Pension

African immigrant ‘bought $1.5m mansion while claiming Centrelink’

May 14, 2018

The man was claiming Centrelink payments.

The son of a former South Sudanese military general bought a $1.5 million mansion upfront, despite claiming Centrelink payments and living in housing commission, the ABC reports.

Ngouth Oth Mai, who was 22 when he bought the luxury home in 2014, is being investigated by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) after they launched civil action under the Proceeds of Crime Act, over the unexplained wealth.

Mai’s father is James Hoth Mai, the former chief of staff to Sudan’s People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). According to the ABC, he and his whole family (including his son) were named by The Sentry, an anti-corruption watchdog set up by actor George Clooney and activist John Prendergast, in a report on corruption in Sudan.

The watchdog reportedly claims a general in Mai’s former position could earn up to $65,000 a year – leaving much of his wealth unexplained.

In legal papers, seen by the ABC, the AFP produced Australian Taxation Office records allegedly showing some members of the Mai family, who are living in Australia, have not declared any income since 2009. It also alleged they were claiming Centrelink benefits and lived in housing commission until the mansion was bought in 2014.

The publication reports the mansion was purchased with money from company bank accounts, meaning the funds never reached a personal account, which would have alerted Centrelink. It’s claimed Ngouth Oth Mai did not declare the property at the time.

An Audi car for Nguoth Oth Mai’s younger sister was also purchased through a company bank account, the report alleges.

It comes after Centrelink recently announced a major crackdown on welfare recipients cheating the system. One welfare recipient last year broke 117 rules to avoid working. Despite this, the man only went five days without payment, with new rules set to be launched later this year to crack down on similar dodgy behaviour.

Meanwhile it was also recently reported by the ABC that the Department of Human Services will for the first time charge people interest on their debts owed at a rate of 8.77 per cent in a bid to claw back the $900 million owed in falsified welfare claims.

The government has already began contacting its targets and will give them one month to negotiate a repayment timeline, or risk paying the interest.

Human Services Minister Michael Keenan told the ABC the government has been too soft on welfare cheats in the past, enabling hundreds of people to get away with rorting the system.