By Zuko Komisa

- Disbarred lawyer Peet Viljoen has been remanded in custody after the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria declared him a flight risk and refused his bail application in a R27.6 million fraud case.
- Arrested at OR Tambo International Airport following his deportation from the United States, Viljoen faces roughly 400 criminal charges linked to an alleged Johannesburg Property Company fraud scheme.
- The court rejected defence arguments for house arrest, leaving Viljoen detained at Kgosi Mampuru Prison while his wife, reality TV personality Mel Viljoen, wept in court.
Disbarred attorney Peet Viljoen will remain behind bars after the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria denied his bail application in relation to a R27.6 million fraud case.
Magistrate Nicca Setshogoe ruled that the accused presented a clear flight risk and ordered his continued detention. The decision left his wife, reality television personality Mel Viljoen, in tears in the public gallery.
Viljoen was taken into custody at OR Tambo International Airport on 16 June immediately after being deported from the United States.
He faces approximately 400 charges including fraud, theft, corruption, forgery, and uttering arising from an alleged property fraud scheme involving the Johannesburg Property Company.
Welcoming the court’s decision, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana stated: “As the State, we welcome the ruling by the court to deny Viljoen bail.
We initially opposed his release on bail because we indicated to the court that he was a flight risk… and the Magistrate agreed with us.”
Defence advocate Andre Steenkamp had previously contended that Viljoen was not a flight risk, citing his voluntary return to South Africa despite knowing police awaited him.
The defence proposed a R200,000 bail fee alongside strict conditions, including house arrest at his sister’s Pretoria residence and daily police reporting.
However, prosecutor Van Zyl strongly opposed the motion, highlighting past social media posts in which Viljoen declared he would never return to the country. Viljoen remains remanded in custody at Kgosi Mampuru Prison.
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