Sudan ex-general James Hoth Mai faces AFP probe on lush Aussie mansion, Audi
A former general suspected of siphoning off South Sudan assets to buy Australian property is facing a grilling by Australian Federal Police.
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A former South Sudanese military general suspected of siphoning off assets from his country to buy property in Australia is set to face a grilling about his source of income by Australian Federal Police.
General James Hoth Mai, who was chief of staff in the South Sudanese People’s Liberation Army, will be forced to explain his claim of a financial interest in a A$35,000 Audi car registered to his daughter and a property now worth millions of dollars in the name of his Australian-based son Ngouth Hoth Mai.
The AFP’s Criminal Assets Litigation team have been investigating the case and in 2017 sought restraining orders for the car and the lavish five-bedroom home, which has an infinity pool, a sauna, a cinema, and a five-car garage, in the Melbourne suburb of Narre Warren, as suspected proceeds of crime.
General Mai’s son Ngouth Hoth Mai and daughter Titchiang lost their bid to keep the home and car after the AFP successfully argued they were the recipients of Centrelink payments and they had shown no earned income in Australia since 2009.
The County Court of Victoria has been told the money to pay for the car and the home was transferred from overseas, likely from Uganda or Kenya to a sports car business that had been set up in Australia but never traded.
The case has now taken a new twist with General Mai, his wife and son claiming they had a legitimate financial interest in the property and should be compensated. That case won’t be heard until after the AFP’s examination of General Mai about his source of funds.
General Mai denied money used to buy the house and car was the proceeds of crime, rather the County Court of Victoria has been told the funds came from his salary and other income and rent received from the properties he allegedly owns in South Sudan.
One of his Australian lawyers has said previously General Mai was a “person of impeccable character and the AFP claims are without merit”.
The allegations were first raised in a report by The Sentry, an organisation co-established by US actor George Clooney to investigate the financial interests of senior South Sudanese military figures.
General Mai who is now the Minister for Labour in the South Sudan People’s Republic Government had opposed the AFP’s examination order against him.
But County Court Judge Jeanette Morrish granted an application from the AFP for the examination order to go ahead.
The questioning may have to take place using a video or telephone link as General Mai hasn’t been granted a visa to travel to Australia.
General Mai’s Australian lawyers have been contacted for comment.
General Mai was the chief of staff in the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army between 2009 and 2014. He now holds a position in the new government.
His wife Nyawarga and their children arrived progressively on humanitarian visas in Australia starting in 2001 and lived in public housing until they moved to the Narre Warren property in October 2014.
They are believed to be still living in Victoria.
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