South Africa has proven to be anything but easy for disbarred celebrity lawyer Peet Viljoen and his wife Melany, with fresh legal pressure now piling up as he fights for bail and the taxman reportedly turns attention to his wife as well.
The couple’s troubles widened last Thursday when an officer from the South African Revenue Service was seen in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria and briefly met with Mel during a break in proceedings. The meeting was said to concern alleged outstanding tax returns, although the details remain unclear. When asked about it afterwards, Mel declined to go into the matter and said: “let us rather concentrate at this stage on Peet’s bail”.
That comment came as the couple continued to face multiple legal headaches, including the long-running Tammy Taylor franchise saga. Several investors claim they paid large sums into salon franchises that never materialised, adding another layer of complaint to an already sprawling mess of allegations surrounding the pair.
Some of those case dockets have already been referred to the National Prosecuting Authority for a decision on whether to prosecute. In opposing bail, the prosecution relied on statements from alleged victims, some of whom said they had previously been intimidated by Viljoen. He has strongly denied those claims.
Viljoen is currently behind bars after being arrested at OR Tambo International Airport and deported from the United States on 16 June. He is facing 400 charges, including fraud, theft, corruption, forgery and uttering, linked to an alleged R27.6 million Johannesburg Property Company property fraud scheme.
The couple, once known for the glossy lifestyle they projected on social media, now faces the reality of legal uncertainty and no clear family home to return to if Viljoen is granted bail. According to the court, he has no fixed address in South Africa and would need to stay with his sister if released. Viljoen disputes that version, saying he and Mel would live with his sister in Olympus, Pretoria.
Prosecutor Willem van Zyl argued that it was “logical” that Viljoen should not be granted bail because he is a flight risk. He pointed to the couple’s departure to the United States last year and social media posts in which Viljoen said he would never return to South Africa.
Viljoen rejected that argument, saying their whereabouts were public all along because they remained active on social media. He argued that some of those posts have now been unfairly used against him, especially comments where he was outspoken about South Africa and its people. According to Viljoen, he has a constitutional right to speak freely and those posts should have no bearing on whether he is granted bail.
In his application, Viljoen said he is willing to pay a total of R200 000 bail, made up of R150 000 immediately and the remaining R50 000 from the amount linked to an earlier release 16 years ago on the same charges. The court also heard that he is prepared to live under house arrest and report to police daily if required.
At the start of the hearing last Thursday, Viljoen appeared confident enough, but that mood changed when Magistrate Nicca Setshogoe ruled that he must remain in prison until 17 August, when she will deliver her bail judgment. She said bail was urgent, but explained that she needed more time to consider additional documents in the matter.
For now, Viljoen remains in custody as the legal pressure mounts and the next hearing date edges closer. His wife, meanwhile, appears to be dealing with her own questions as the couple’s troubles deepen on several fronts.
