Disbarred lawyer Peet Viljoen denied bail over flight-risk concerns

Disbarred lawyer Peet Viljoen will remain in custody after a Pretoria court denied his bail application, the court heard on Tuesday. According to The Citizen, Magistrate Nicca Setshogoe cited concerns that Viljoen was a flight risk and pointed to alleged threats and a lack of a fixed address when refusing bail.

What happened in court

According to The Citizen, the bail judgment was delivered in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court, and Viljoen was told he would return to Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre until his next appearance. The magistrate postponed the matter until 4 September, when Viljoen is expected back in court, The Citizen reports.

Courtroom scene and family reaction

According to The Citizen, the courtroom was much emptier than on previous occasions. Viljoen listened to the outcome while fiddling with his lip balm, and his wife, Mel Viljoen, kept to herself and handed him a bottle of water. The Citizen reports that when Magistrate Setshogoe read the bail judgment, Mel Viljoen burst into tears and stormed out of the courtroom as soon as court was adjourned.

State’s case against Viljoen

According to The Citizen, Viljoen faces 400 charges linked to an alleged R27.6 million Johannesburg Property Company fraud. The Citizen reports he was arrested on 16 June at OR Tambo International Airport following his deportation from the United States.

According to The Citizen, the couple was earlier arrested in Boca Raton, Florida, in March and charged with aggravated grand retail theft over a six-month shoplifting scheme at a Publix supermarket between August 2025 and March this year. The Citizen also reports allegations that Viljoen intimidated state witnesses and the investigating officer.

Reasons the magistrate cited

According to The Citizen, Magistrate Setshogoe noted several matters in refusing bail: concerns about alleged threats and interference with the state’s investigation; that Viljoen had no stability or fixed address in South Africa despite claiming a verified residential address in Brits, North West; social media posts Viljoen made while in the US about never returning to South Africa; three Tammy Taylor cases the Hawks investigated and handed to the NPA for reconsideration; and that Viljoen had not been able to prove his medical condition.

State response

According to The Citizen, NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the state welcomed the ruling. Mahanjana was quoted as saying:

“As the state, we initially opposed his release on bail because we indicated to the court that he was a flight risk because he doesn’t have any fixed address in South Africa, as he has just been deported to South Africa, and the magistrate agreed with us,” said Mahanjana. “The magistrate said his release on bail might undermine public confidence.”

Next steps

According to The Citizen, Viljoen will remain in custody and is expected to return to the Specialised Commercial Crime Court on 4 September.