Peet Viljoen, with wife Mel Viljoen Peet Viljoen, with wife Mel Viljoen
As disbarred celebrity lawyer Peet Viljoen fights for his freedom in a Pretoria courtroom, legal and financial pressures appear to be mounting on multiple fronts for both him and his wife, Melany.
Viljoen, who is seeking bail after being deported from the United States and arrested upon arrival in South Africa, now faces not only a sprawling criminal case involving hundreds of charges, but a growing list of challenges that have drawn both him and his wife deeper into the spotlight.
Adding to the couple’s difficulties, an official from the South African Revenue Service (SARS) was present at the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria on Thursday and briefly met with Mel during a court adjournment over what appeared to be outstanding tax return matters.
While some of these case dockets had been referred to the National Prosecuting Authority on a decision whether to prosecute or not, the prosecution, in opposing bail, submitted several statements by these alleged victims - some who claimed they were in the past intimidated by Viljoen. He, meanwhile, vehemently denied this.
