Leaked police bodycam footage from the United States has revealed Real Housewives of Pretoria star Mel Viljoen repeatedly attempting to shield her husband, Peet Viljoen, during police questioning following their arrest in Florida over an alleged shoplifting scheme.
The footage, which surfaced this week, shows Mel being questioned by detectives after the couple were arrested in Boca Raton.
Investigators alleged the pair repeatedly scanned low-cost grocery items at self-checkout tills instead of higher-priced products, allowing them to leave the store with trolleys full of groceries while allegedly paying only a fraction of the total amount.
‘It was me shopping. It wasn’t my husband’
Throughout the interrogation, Mel denied knowledge of any wrongdoing and insisted Peet was unaware that the groceries had allegedly not been paid for.
“It was me shopping. It wasn’t my husband,” she told detectives after they confronted her with surveillance footage.
When detectives questioned why Peet would leave the store without confirming payment had gone through, Mel responded: “He didn’t know. He thought I was shopping.”
Pressed further on why he would have believed the groceries had been paid for, she replied: “He probably thought it was paid for.”
Legal troubles deepen
The Viljoens have since returned to South Africa, but their legal troubles continue to deepen.
Peet is facing around 400 charges, including fraud, theft, corruption, forgery and uttering, linked to the alleged R27.6 million Johannesburg Property Company fraud scheme. The Hawks allege that several municipal properties were unlawfully sold to unsuspecting buyers in 2010, resulting in millions in losses.
The couple also remains embroiled in legal disputes relating to the Tammy Taylor franchise business after a US court ordered them to pay millions in damages for trademark infringement. They have also faced allegations from South African franchisees who claim they were persuaded to buy franchises from a company that did not own the brand.
Cooperation agreement withdrawn
Private investigator Mike Bolhuis has also withdrawn his cooperation agreement with Mel, accusing her of acting independently by launching crowdfunding campaigns for Peet’s legal fees without consulting his investigative team.
The latest developments come as Viljoen faces mounting legal pressure on another front.
As previously reported by Sunday World, businesswoman Happy Simelane has served Viljoen with a letter of demand threatening legal action and claiming R1 million in damages over allegedly defamatory social media posts.
In the letter, Simelane’s attorneys accuse Viljoen of publishing a series of false, misleading and defamatory statements which they say amount to an unlawful and malicious campaign against their client.
The attorneys have demanded that Viljoen remove the disputed content and publish “a clear, prominent and unequivocal public apology and retraction” within seven days, failing which they intend instituting High Court proceedings seeking an interdict, R1 million in damages and a punitive costs order.
Peet Viljoen’s bail proceedings in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court are expected to resume on July 23, while the couple’s legal battles continue to unfold both locally and abroad.
ALSO READ: Peet Viljoen back in court as R27m fraud case deepens
- Leaked US police bodycam footage shows Mel Viljoen, star of Real Housewives of Pretoria, protecting her husband Peet Viljoen during questioning after a Florida shoplifting arrest involving under-scanning grocery items.
- Mel denies Peet’s involvement, claiming she was shopping alone and he was unaware the groceries were unpaid.
- Peet Viljoen faces around 400 charges in South Africa related to a R27.6 million Johannesburg Property Company fraud scheme, along with ongoing disputes over a Tammy Taylor franchise trademark infringement case.
- Private investigator Mike Bolhuis withdrew cooperation with Mel after she independently launched crowdfunding for Peet’s legal fees without consulting his team.
- Mel Viljoen is threatened with legal action and R1 million in damages by businesswoman Happy Simelane over alleged defamatory social media posts; Peet’s bail proceedings are scheduled to resume on July 23.
Leaked police bodycam footage from the United States has revealed Real Housewives of Pretoria star Mel Viljoen repeatedly attempting to shield her husband, Peet Viljoen, during police questioning following their arrest in Florida over an alleged shoplifting scheme.
Investigators alleged the pair repeatedly scanned low-cost grocery items at self-checkout tills instead of higher-priced products, allowing them to leave the store with trolleys full of groceries while allegedly paying only a fraction of the total amount.
“It was me shopping. It wasn’t my husband,” she told detectives after they confronted her with surveillance footage.
When detectives questioned why Peet would leave the store without confirming payment had gone through, Mel responded: “He didn’t know. He thought I was shopping.”
Pressed further on why he would have believed the groceries had been paid for, she replied: “He probably thought it was paid for.”
Peet is facing around 400 charges, including fraud, theft, corruption, forgery and uttering, linked to the alleged R27.6 million Johannesburg Property
Private investigator Mike Bolhuis has also withdrawn his cooperation agreement with Mel, accusing her of acting independently by launching crowdfunding campaigns for Peet’s legal fees without consulting his investigative team.
As previously reported by
In the letter, Simelane’s attorneys accuse Viljoen of publishing a series of false, misleading and defamatory statements which they say amount to an unlawful and malicious campaign against their client.
Peet Viljoen's bail proceedings in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court are expected to resume on July 23, while the couple’s legal battles continue to unfold both locally and abroad.
ALSO READ: Peet Viljoen back in court as R27m fraud case deepens
