A BackaBuddy campaign seeking R400,000 for the legal fees of disbarred lawyer Peet Viljoen has been closed by the crowdfunding platform as he is due to apply for bail on multiple fraud-related charges.
Image: Timothy Bernard/ANAStudio
Disbarred lawyer Peet Viljoen is expected to apply for bail in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria on Wednesday after a BackaBuddy campaign launched to raise R400,000 for his legal fees was shut down.
The crowdfunding campaign was launched by family friend Tammy van der Merwe alongside Viljoen's wife, reality television personality Mel Viljoen.
It was intended to assist with mounting legal costs while he remains in custody.
Peet Viljoen 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 Hawks previously said it is alleged that in 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.
The campaign, which sought to raise R400,000, failed to gain significant public support.
It raised only R3,500 within days of its launch.
BackaBuddy subsequently removed the fundraiser, saying the decision was made in line with its platform standards and terms and conditions.
Visitors to the campaign page are now met with a notice stating, “This campaign has been closed in line with BackaBuddy's platform standards and Terms and Conditions, which we apply consistently to protect donors, campaign creators and the integrity of our community."
The platform said such decisions are "never taken lightly" and are guided by its commitment to fairness, transparency and trust.
It added that all eligible donations would be refunded and advised donors with questions about the refund process to contact its support team.
BackaBuddy also thanked donors for helping it "uphold a safe, neutral space for impactful giving".
The Viljoens are also embroiled in a separate dispute involving the Tammy Taylor franchise.
A United States court ordered the couple to pay Tammy Taylor USA about R71 million in damages for trademark infringement.
They also face allegations from South African franchisees, who claim they lost millions after allegedly being persuaded to buy franchises from a company the couple did not own.
Peet Viljoen was arrested on June 16 after being deported from the United States, where he had been held in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility.
He was arrested on arrival at OR Tambo International Airport, detained for two nights at Sunnyside police station and later transferred to Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre in Pretoria.
He made his first court appearance shortly afterwards, where prosecutor Willem van Zyl indicated that the State would vigorously oppose bail.
Van Zyl also told the court that the prosecution intended relying on some of the couple's social media posts during the bail proceedings, although he did not specify which posts.
Ahead of Wednesday's hearing, Viljoen has appointed a new senior advocate to lead his bail application.
Meanwhile, his wife recently issued a public apology on social media, saying she and her husband wanted to take responsibility for their past conduct.
Describing it as "one of the most difficult posts we have ever written", she said: "The Lord has done profound work in both my heart and Peet's heart.
"Today we want to take responsibility for our past. To the people we hurt through our videos, our words and our actions, we are truly sorry," she wrote.
IOL News