Disbarred lawyer and reality TV personality Peet Viljoen remains in custody after the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court refused to strike his R27m fraud case from the roll. 

The application was dismissed by Magistrate Nicca Setshogoe during Viljoen’s appearance today (September 4).  

Setshogoe said the court had to be fair to both the accused and the victims. 

“You [the defence team] have previously asked for a postponement for disclosure of a dossier, but you could not consult properly with him [Viljoen] at Kgosi Mampuru II Prison. Now I have heard that you are going to the High Court to challenge my denial of bail, and now you ask me to strike the case from the court roll.” 
 
Viljoen’s defence lawyer, André Steenkamp, questioned why his client should remain behind bars, while the state had allegedly made little progress in bringing the remaining accused before court. 

Adv Willem van Zyl, representing the state, rejected this claim. 

“The state did not do nothing. That is untrue. We have been doing something for two years. I am going to do everything to prosecute all the accused in the case.” 

Viljoen was denied bail last month and remains in custody at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre. 

Steenkamp argued that his client would languish in custody because the state was unable to proceed with the case while the remaining accused are at large. 

“We know he cannot prosecute the case now because of the charge sheet. Viljoen cannot plead. Thirdly, while we know the prosecution can do nothing, they are begging the court for a postponement until sometime in the future. 

“We don’t know when the other accused will be here. What we do know, in fact, and that is not evidence, is that they have been searching for people since April 2024.” 

Viljoen appeared in court for the sixth time since his arrest at OR Tambo International Airport on June 16. 

He faces about 400 charges, including fraud, theft, forgery and corruption, linked to the alleged fraudulent sale of 46 Johannesburg Property Company-owned properties worth about R27m. 

Setshogoe said the court still had various aspects to consider before the matter could proceed to trial. 

She acknowledged the defence’s reasons for seeking to have the matter struck from the roll, as well as its frustration over what the defence described as unreasonable delays by the state in securing a trial date. 

The matter was postponed to October 30. 

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