Controversial former lawyer Peet Viljoen is expected to appear in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday, 18 June 2026, after the Hawks arrested him in connection with the alleged fraudulent sale of City of Johannesburg-owned properties.
Viljoen, 57, was arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit at OR Tambo International Airport on 16 June 2026. He faces charges of fraud, theft, forgery, uttering, and contravening Section 4 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.
His arrest marks the latest chapter in a long-running legal saga that has kept the former attorney in the spotlight for more than a decade.
According to Hawks the arrest follows “an extensive investigation into allegations relating to the fraudulent sale of properties belonging to the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC), an entity wholly owned by the City of Johannesburg.”
“It is alleged that during May 2010, several properties owned by the Johannesburg Property Company were unlawfully sold to unsuspecting bona fide purchasers. Despite the properties being transferred and sold, the Johannesburg Property Company reportedly did not receive payment for the transactions, resulting in substantial financial prejudice,” Hawks said.
