Peet Viljoen to learn bail fate in R27.6 million fraud case

Disbarred celebrity lawyer Peet Viljoen will learn his fate on Monday when the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria determines whether he should be released on bail.

Disbarred lawyer Peet Viljoen is expected to learn on Monday whether he will be released on bail as he faces 400 charges linked to an alleged R27.6 million Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) fraud scheme.

The decision was postponed until August 17 to allow the court to consider further submissions.

IOL previously reported that the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court heard legal arguments from both the defence and the prosecution regarding Viljoen’s bail application.

After the arguments, which continued until late, Magistrate Nicca Setshogoe said she required further documentation from the prosecution before delivering her judgment.

Viljoen’s lawyer, Andre Steenkamp, argued that it was concerning that the prosecution was opposing bail because Viljoen had voluntarily returned to South Africa despite knowing he would be arrested upon arrival.

In his bail application, Steenkamp said Viljoen was prepared to pay R200,000 in bail, with R150,000 to be paid immediately and the remaining R50,000 to be drawn from an amount on which he had previously been released 16 years ago.

The court was also told that Viljoen was prepared to remain under house arrest at his sister’s home in Olympus, Pretoria, and report to police daily if ordered to do so.

Viljoen was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport after being deported from the United States on June 16.

He faces 400 charges, including fraud, theft, corruption, forgery and uttering, linked to an alleged R27.6 million Johannesburg Property Company property fraud scheme.

The prosecution is strongly opposing bail, arguing that Viljoen is a flight risk and that his release would not be in the interests of justice.

However, Steenkamp argued that Viljoen had clearly intended to face the charges by returning to South Africa.

“He returned, yet he knew he would be arrested. This is not a man who is a flight risk. It's true that a US court deported him, but he begged for it. He was deported as he asked for it,” Steenkamp said.

In an earlier recording presented to the court in connection with extradition proceedings before a US judge, Viljoen initially asked to return voluntarily to South Africa. When the judge refused, Viljoen asked to be deported, telling the judge that he would “die” in the US immigration detention centre.