The legal troubles surrounding Peet and Mel Viljoen appear to be moving far beyond a single arrest story and are now becoming an international legal saga stretching from the United States back to
South Africa. US authorities have issued bench warrants for the couple after they failed to appear before a Florida court following their arrest for shoplifting. While the warrants do not mean American law enforcement will pursue them on South African soil, they effectively ensure that if the pair attempt to re-enter the United States, they could be arrested immediately and brought before a court. At the same time, Peet Viljoen’s legal difficulties escalated the moment he arrived back in South Africa, where Hawks investigators arrested him at OR Tambo International Airport in connection with a long-running municipal property fraud investigation. He now faces more than 400 charges including
fraud, corruption, theft, perjury and forgery. Tonight we unpack what a bench warrant actually means, whether these legal matters in two countries intersect in any way, and whether this marks the
beginning of a much bigger legal battle.

The legal troubles surrounding Peet and Mel Viljoen appear to be&nbsp;moving far beyond a single arrest story and are now becoming an&nbsp;international legal saga stretching from the United States back to South Africa. US authorities have issued bench warrants for the&nbsp;couple after they failed to appear before a Florida court following&nbsp;their arrest for shoplifting. While the warrants do not mean&nbsp;American law enforcement will pursue them on South African soil,&nbsp;they effectively ensure that if the pair attempt to re-enter the&nbsp;United States, they could be arrested immediately and brought&nbsp;before a court. At the same time, Peet Viljoen&rsquo;s legal difficulties&nbsp;escalated the moment he arrived back in South Africa, where&nbsp;Hawks investigators arrested him at OR Tambo International&nbsp;Airport in connection with a long-running municipal property fraud&nbsp;investigation. He now faces more than 400 charges including fraud, corruption, theft, perjury and forgery. Tonight we unpack&nbsp;what a bench warrant actually means, whether these legal matters&nbsp;in two countries intersect in any way, and whether this marks the beginning of a much bigger legal battle.

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope