Peet Viljoen to spend another week behind bars, faces 400 charges
· Citizen
Disgraced lawyer Peet Viljoen will remain in custody for at least another week after the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court postponed his bail application to 26 June.
Visit betsport24.es for more information.
Viljoen made a brief appearance in court on Thursday following his arrest at OR Tambo International Airport this week, shortly after landing in South Africa.
The former attorney was deported from the United States, where he and his wife, Mel Viljoen, were arrested on allegations of shoplifting.
WATCH: Viljoen in the dock
Peet Viljoen at the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday. Video: The Citizen/ Nigel Sibanda
400 charges
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it intends to oppose Viljoen’s release on bail.
Spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana told broadcaster eNCA that the accused faces a Schedule 5 offence and that prosecutors still need time to verify residential addresses provided by his wife.
“Basically, Viljoen appeared briefly at the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. He’s facing a total of 400 charges. These charges include corruption. They include fraud. They include theft, they include perjury, and they include forgery,” said Mahanjana.
She said the state was not in a position to proceed with the bail application because key investigations were still underway.
“As the state, we intend to oppose this release on bail, as you might note that he’s facing a Schedule 5 offence. However, as the state, we could not proceed with his bail application today, because there are still investigations that we need to do, which include confirming his address.”
Address verification delays proceedings
According to the state, the addresses supplied by Viljoen’s wife are located outside Gauteng, requiring further verification before the bail application can proceed.
“You must understand that he was arrested on the 16th of June, and today is the 18th. So, as the state, we do not have enough time to verify those addresses, especially because those addresses are outside Gauteng Province,” Mahanjana said.
She added that the matter was therefore postponed until 26 June for a formal bail hearing.
Charges linked to property transactions
Viljoen is facing fraud-related charges linked to alleged unlawful property sales dating back to 2010.
The Hawks confirmed that investigators have been working on the matter for more than a decade.
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Granville Meyer said law enforcement officers arrested Viljoen immediately after he arrived in South Africa.
“Just after he landed, our members arrested him for this crime. And then he appeared in court. We’ve been investigating this matter for more than 10 years,” Meyer said.
Questions over overseas travel
Questions have also emerged over how Viljoen was able to leave South Africa while the criminal matter remained active.
Meyer confirmed that it is also still under investigation.
Viljoen is expected to return to the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 26 June, where the state is expected to formally oppose his application for bail.