Peet Viljoen in court on Thursday. (Photo: Elisma van der Watt/ Maroela Media)
With a neat cream-white designer tracksuit that he has been wearing since his arrest in South Africa, Peet Viljoen (57) appeared confidently for the first time in the specialized commercial crime court in Pretoria on Thursday.
Viljoen faces 400 charges which include fraud, theft, falsification of documents and corruption. The charges against him relate to a case that dates back to 2010. He is accused of fraudulently selling state property owned by the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC).
Although these properties were transferred and sold, the JPC allegedly received no payment, resulting in significant losses. According to the indictment, the properties that were illegally sold amount to more than R27 million.
The state has indicated that it intends to oppose Viljoen’s release on bail and was not ready to proceed with that application on Thursday due to address verifications.
According to the state, Viljoen provided two addresses, one of which is in the North West and the second in the Western Cape.
Peet Viljoen in the dock. (Photo: Elisma van der Watt/ Maroela Media)
Willem van Zyl, the prosecutor in the case, made it clear that the police had already been instructed to verify the address in North West after the court proceedings.
Van Zyl says the state is also waiting for additional information from the US consulate, which could affect the case.
“It concerns a visa application from Viljoen, its scope, how long it was valid and when it was no longer valid.”
Adv. Johan van Dyk, for the defence, also indicated that he is not ready to start with the application for bail for Viljoen, because apparently there was not enough time to consult.
The defense asked magistrate Nicca Setshogoe that Viljoen could consult with his legal team at the Sunnyside police station.
“The facilities in the prison are inconvenient. Our time is limited and we sit in a very small room with a sheet of glass between us which makes it difficult to communicate. The Sunnyside police station goes out of its way to accommodate us, therefore we ask the court that we only communicate at this police station,” argued Van Dyk.
The court also heard that the station commander was not prepared to accommodate him there.
Peet and Mel Viljoen in court. (Photo: Elisma van der Watt/ Maroela Media)
The case against Viljoen has been postponed until next week when he is expected to apply for bail. He remains in custody.
Lt. Col. Granville Meyer, spokesman for the Falcons, told the media after the court proceedings that the case against Viljoen has been investigated for more than ten years.
“I cannot yet comment on why he was allowed to leave the country while he had cases pending against him, because it is still being investigated,” says Meyer.
Peet Viljoen in the dock. (Photo: Elisma van der Watt/ Maroela Media)
Maroela Media earlier reported that Viljoen was apprehended by the Hawks on Tuesday evening at the OR Tambo international airport after he was deported from America on Monday after his tourist visa expired.
Viljoen and his wife, Mel, were arrested in Boca Raton in the USA in March this year after an investigation revealed that the couple had allegedly committed shoplifting.
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Mel and Peet Viljoen before the proceedings. (Photo: Elisma van der Watt/ Maroela Media)
Peet Viljoen sits cross-legged in the dock. (Photo: Elisma van der Watt/ Maroela Media)
Mel during the court proceedings. (Photo: Elisma van der Watt/ Maroela Media)