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Disbarred lawyer Peet Viljoen, popularly known for his stint on The Real Housewives of Pretoria, is set to remain behind bars until next week after his brief appearance in the Pretoria specialised commercial crimes court on Thursday.
Peet, who was arrested at OR Tambo airport on Wednesday after his deportation from the US, is facing 400 charges including corruption, fraud, theft and perjury.
He is set to appear in court for a bail application on June 26, which the prosecution wants to contest.
“We could not proceed today because there are investigations we need to do, including confirming his address,” said NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana outside court. “The state intends to oppose bail. He’s facing a schedule 5 offence.”
The charges relate to the allegedly fraudulent sale of properties belonging to the Johannesburg Property Company in 2010.
His lawyer had asked for him to be detained at the Sunnyside police station, citing the need for easier access for consultations. This was denied by the court.
Private investigator Mike Bolhuis, who has been involved in probing cases involving Viljoen and his wife Mel, said: “The long arm of the law has gotten ahold of them. We‘re elated that he was arrested at the airport when he arrived in the country, and we’re even more elated about the fact that he is to be kept at Kgosi Mampuru (prison).”
In a statement after the court appearance, Mahanjana elaborated on the charges.
She said from January to March 2010, Viljoen and five other suspects - who have not yet appeared before the court - allegedly fraudulently sold 46 properties belonging to the City of Joburg to unsuspecting individuals and/or companies without the knowledge of CoJ.
“To transfer the properties, the accused allegedly forged documents, including sales agreements, resolutions of City of CoJ and Joburg Property Company (Pty) Ltd, power of attorney to transfer properties, affidavits and applications in terms of sections of the regulations under the Deeds Act. Furthermore, it is alleged that the accused paid a deputy registrar employed by the Department of Land Affairs gratification to register the transfer deeds of the properties.
“This was discovered after the CoJ conducted an audit on its immovable assets and noticed the discrepancies, and applied at the Johannesburg High Court to have their properties returned back to the city. The application was granted by the court and the properties were returned to the CoJ.
“After criminal investigations by the police, Viljoen was arrested in 2010 and appeared at the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. However, the matter was set to start de novo in front of a different magistrate at the SCCU. Just before the matter was re-enrolled in court, Viljoen left the country in May 2025 and was re-arrested on 16 June 2026 at the OR Tambo International Airport after he was deported from the United States of America.
“In court, the matter was postponed to 26 June 2026 for bail investigations and bail application. The state intends to oppose his release on bail,” said Mahanjana.
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