By Anita Dangazele
- NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana says Viljoen faces 400 charges including fraud, theft, corruption, perjury and forgery linked to a R100 million property fraud syndicate.
- The scheme allegedly used forged council papers to steal up to 33 city-owned properties from Joburg and Sanral and sell them to private buyers.
Peet Viljoen made his first court appearance on Thursday since being arrested at OR Tambo International Airport two days earlier. He was in and out quickly. The case was postponed before it could properly begin.
Viljoen appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, where his case was pushed back to 26 June for a formal bail application. The state said it will oppose his release. On Thursday it could not proceed because outstanding verification checks, including confirmation of Viljoen’s address, had not been completed.
The charges against him are extensive.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said Viljoen faces a total of 400 counts, including corruption, fraud, theft, perjury and forgery.
The 400 counts stem from a single scheme. Prosecutors allege that roughly 16 years ago, Viljoen ran a R100 million property fraud syndicate that used forged council resolutions and falsified documents to steal between 27 and 33 state-owned properties. The land belonged to the City of Johannesburg, its municipal entities and Sanral. It was then sold to private buyers who had no knowledge the properties were stolen.
Each fraudulent transfer generated multiple separate counts. The state formulated up to 297 counts of fraud alternating with theft and forgery. Combined with charges under the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, the total reached approximately 400.
Viljoen was struck off the roll of attorneys in 2011. He fled South Africa in July 2025 with active warrants against him, was arrested in Florida for shoplifting and deported. He was arrested at OR Tambo on Tuesday evening on his return.
His bail application is scheduled for 26 June.
Pictured above: Peet Viljoen appeared briefly in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday, 19 June 2026.
Image source: Peet Viljoen/ Facebook Page
