Peet Viljoen in the dock on Wednesday during his bid for bail.
Disbarred attorney Peet Viljoen has told the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria that he intends suing the National Prosecuting Authority for R500 million, claiming he has been subjected to an unlawful prosecution.
The claim was set out in an affidavit filed in support of Viljoen's bail application, read to the court by his lawyer on Wednesday. Viljoen said if he had wanted to evade justice, he would have sought deportation to Mexico while detained in the United States, since South Africa has no extradition treaty with that country.
As a defiant Viljoen sat in the dock, demonstrators carried placards reading statements like "Thank you, Peet Viljoen" outside the court. However, speculation and claims quickly swirled on social media that the protesters were paid to attend by his wife, Mel Viljoen, a former Real Housewives of Pretoria star.
Viljoen faces 400 fraud and corruption charges, a case he says has hung over him for the past 16 years. He maintained the State's case against him is weak and that he intends to challenge the allegations. He also said he is in the process of applying for reinstatement as an attorney, with the application due to be placed on the court roll.
