A family from Sudan who migrated to Australia on humanitarian visas and received hundreds of thousands of dollars in Centrelink benefits before purchasing a lavish Melbourne mansion have lost their bid to have the property returned to them.

The sprawling $1.5 million property at Narre Warren, southeast of Melbourne, was confiscated by the Australian Federal Police as part of an investigation last year.

The home, which includes an infinity pool, a sauna, a cinema and a five-car garage, was paid for in full by 23-year-old Ngouth Oth Mai. Ngouth is the son of former Sudanese General James Hoth Mai.

The AFP alleges the property was paid for with the proceeds of crime after Ngouth set up a fake business purporting to import luxury cars into Australia.

The car import business, named Sportscars Pty Ltd., received sums of money from Uganda and Kenya via banks in Dubai but, according to police and the Australian Taxation Office, carried out no actual business.

In 2014, the business received separate payments of $621,838, $470,756, $312,838, $82,897 and $58,978.

In August, 2014, Ngouth allegedly withdrew a sum of $1,360,661 to make a payment towards settlement of the Narre Warren estate.

“At the time of the purchase … he was not employed and had been receiving youth allowance from the Australian Government since 2008,” the AFP’s Graham White said in the court documents seen by news.com.au.

The family home is not the only purchase under scrutiny. James Hoth Mai’s daughter, Titchiang, is the registered owner of a 2016 Audi A1 purchased for $35,274 and his other daughter, Dijok, is the registered owner of a BMW 316i, purchased a week later for $63,000.

In the Victorian County Court on Monday, Judge Robert Dyer dismissed an application to have the property returned to the family.

In a further blow, he ordered that the family pay the court costs incurred by the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police.

The family moved from Sudan to Melbourne in 2001 and 2003. They lived in commission housing and received a combined total of $460,000 from Centrelink, according to court documents.

The property at Wiringa Close, 45kms from the Melbourne CBD, which comes complete with a cinema, pool table and sparkling bathrooms, was home to James Hot Mai’s wife, Nyawarga, his son Ngouth and his daughters Titchiang and Dijok.

James Hoth Mai does not live in Australia.

The AFP was tipped off about the purchase after the George Clooney-spearheaded anti-corruption watchdog The Sentry began investigating in 2016.

“In September 2016, following the receipt of information that several former and current South Sudanese officials maintain properties in Australia that may have been purchased with the proceeds of corruption, the AFP commenced an investigation, code named SIBUDU,” an affidavit said.

Mr White told the court that the family’s story simply did not add up.

“I started ... looked at the whole family and what benefits they were receiving, um, and when I started looking at each family member they’d all been receiving benefit to a greater or lesser extent,” he said.

“Um, so the question then in my mind was, ‘Well, why would they be using the company account rather than their own personal accounts?’

“And, when you’re making an application to DHS (Department of Human Services) you have to list your assets. … If you put $1.5 million, um, plus the $28,000, as an asset of Nguoth — ah, as a potential income from the company, then that would potentially stop any benefits that he is receiving, and he has received, um, following the receipt of those funds, over $10,000 of benefits from DHS.”

News.com.au has reached out to Ngouth Oth Mai’s lawyers for comment. They previously claimed their client was a person of impeccable character and the AFP claims were without merit.

A directions hearing is expected to detail what costs the applicant will incur in February next year.

rohan.smith1@news.com.au | @ro_smith