A crowdfunding campaign launched by television personality Mel Viljoen to raise R400 000 for her husband’s legal fees, disbarred lawyer and alleged shoplifter Peet Viljoen, was yesterday shut down by BackaBuddy on Tuesday, just a week after it was launched.

The platform said it had closed the campaign ‘to protect donors, campaign creators, and the integrity of our community’.

Tammy van der Merwe, a friend of the Viljoen couple, earlier said she had started the campaign to help them cover the legal costs. By 2pm yesterday, justR3 500 of the R400 000 goal had been raised for Peet’s legal fees.

During his last appearance in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Pretoria, Peet fired his attorney and appointed senior counsel Sita Kolbe. 

News24 reports that he has spent several weeks in Kgosi Mampuru Prison after his arrest on 400 charges, including fraud, theft, corruption and forgery.

According to the charge sheet, Peet facilitated the fraudulent sale of at least 46 properties belonging to the Johannesburg Property Company to unsuspecting buyers in 2010. 

Although transferred and sold, the JPC allegedly received no payment, resulting in significant losses exceeding R27.6m.

He is expected back in court today when he will apply for bail.

The couple previously made headlines after they were arrested in Boca Raton, Florida, in March after police linked them to a months-long shoplifting scheme at a supermarket in the US.

First News24 report

Second News24 report