Disbarred attorney Peet Viljoen is expected to appear in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday as his bail application resumes in a case involving more than 400 charges linked to an alleged R27 million property fraud scheme.
Viljoen has remained behind bars at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre since his arrest by the Hawks at OR Tambo International Airport on June 16, following his deportation from the United States. He was immediately taken into custody on his arrival in South Africa to face long-standing commercial crime charges.
Fraudulent sale of property
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) alleges that Viljoen, together with five co-accused, orchestrated the fraudulent sale of 46 Johannesburg Property Company-owned properties between January and March 2010. The properties, valued at approximately R27 million, were allegedly transferred using forged documents without the City of Johannesburg’s knowledge or consent.
According to the NPA, the accused allegedly created fraudulent sale agreements, powers of attorney, municipal resolutions and other official documents to facilitate the illegal transfers. The alleged scheme was uncovered after the city conducted an audit of its immovable assets, resulting in a High Court order restoring ownership of the properties to the municipality.
The State is opposing Viljoen’s bail application, arguing that the seriousness of the charges warrants his continued detention.
The case has continued to attract public attention following the arrest of Peet and his wife, Melany Mel Viljoen, in the United States earlier this year. The couple was deported to South Africa after being detained by US authorities.
Private investigator Mike Bolhuis, whose team has been investigating complaints against the Viljoens, has claimed there are several additional criminal matters under investigation, including allegations of fraud, racketeering and hate speech. These allegations have not formed part of the charges currently before the court and remain untested.
BackaBuddy shuts down fundraising campaign
Meanwhile, his wife Mel’s fundraising campaign on crowdfunding platform BackaBuddy has been shut down.
A notice published on the platform states that the campaign was closed “in line with BackaBuddy’s platform standards and Terms and Conditions”, adding that the decision was made to protect donors, campaign creators and the integrity of the platform.
BackaBuddy further confirmed that all eligible donations are being systematically refunded and advised donors with queries about the refund process to contact its support team directly.
The crowdfunding campaign had been launched after the couple’s legal troubles became public.
Wednesday’s proceedings are expected to determine whether Viljoen will be granted bail or remain in custody as the criminal case proceeds.
ALSO READ: Joy over couple’s US arrest
- Disbarred attorney Peet Viljoen faces over 400 charges related to a R27 million property fraud scheme and is due in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court for his bail hearing.
- Viljoen was arrested at OR Tambo Airport after deportation from the US and is held at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre while the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) alleges he and co-accused fraudulently sold 46 city-owned properties using forged documents in 2010.
- The fraudulent transfers were uncovered through a city audit, leading to a High Court order restoring the properties to Johannesburg municipality; the State opposes bail citing the severity of the charges.
- Additional allegations against Viljoen and his wife Melany Mel Viljoen, including fraud, racketeering, and hate speech, are under investigation but not part of current charges; the couple was previously arrested and deported from the US.
- Mel Viljoen’s crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy was shut down due to platform policy violations, with all eligible donations being refunded to protect donors and platform integrity.
