During a hearing on a bail application at the Specialized Commercial Court for Crimes in Pretoria on Wednesday, lawyer Peet Viljoen stated his confidence that he will be allowed to practice law again. He submitted an affidavit to the court stating that he has applied for inclusion in the register.
Viljoen's Stance in Court
Viljoen emphasized that he will certainly not hide but will appear for his trial on charges of fraud and corruption, which includes 400 counts. He noted that he has been dealing with this case for the past 16 years.
Evidence Against Viljoen
Prosecutor Willem van Zyl presented the court with an extensive package of documents criticizing Viljoen's past and present conduct as part of the state's objection to his bail. Although Viljoen swore that there were no current cases against him in South Africa, Van Zyl mentioned seven criminal cases registered against Viljoen and his wife Mel concerning the history of the Tammy Taylor nail salon franchise. In these cases, several buyers alleged they had been deceived by the couple.
Business Activities and Social Media
In his affidavit, Viljoen reported that he and his wife own stock of goods and household appliances worth about 6 million rand in the nail and beauty sector, and plan to resume this business. Furthermore, he intends to open a coffee shop. Mel's brother, Samuel Lindeke, told the prosecution that the couple stored cosmetic products in his home in Wendy when they 'immigrated' to America last year, and Mel informed him that they planned to sell them to make ends meet.
Although the prosecution presented the court with transcripts of several podcasts and online publications by the couple containing offensive remarks about Black people in South Africa, as well as about the judicial system, Viljoen insisted in his affidavit that these publications should be viewed in context. He stated that he never shied away from criticizing problems in the South African context, considering it his constitutional right, and explained that it was a warning about the consequences of flawed policy. He also mentioned an incident where their offices were 'invaded by groups of Black men armed with AK-47s, which was a traumatic experience.'
Charges and Threats
In defense of his social media posts, Viljoen explained that he sometimes reacted emotionally and made statements about life in SA that should not be taken out of context. Although he appeared subdued in court on Wednesday, the prosecution presented a different picture of his behavior during his arrest at O.R. Tambo International Airport on June 16, after being deported from the US and arrested in his home country. The investigating inspector for the current fraud and corruption case, Colonel Ursula Herfurth, detailed threats directed at attending police officers, as well as the coarse language he used. Herfurth noted that in addition to threats to sue a 'damn' company, he told one officer: 'God bless you the devil.'
Plans and Next Steps
In his affidavit, Viljoen informed the court of his intention to sue the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for 500 million rand, claiming he has been illegally persecuted. Herfurth also highlighted Viljoen and Mel's social media posts in her affidavit, noting that, apparently, a day after his arrest, most of these posts were deleted by them in an attempt to erase compromising remarks. Viljoen will remain in Kgosi Mampuru prison until at least July 23, when his legal team responds to the state's charges.