Social media influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate were detained in Romania and given an arrest warrant by British authorities over alleged sexual aggression, Mr. Tate’s spokesperson said on Tuesday.
They were “forcibly detained” for 24 hours on Monday night. The arrest warrant, issued by Westminster Magistrates Court, relates to allegations of sexual aggression dating back between 2012 and 2015.
The Tate brothers have denied all charges and expressed “profound disappointment that such serious allegations are being resurrected without substantial new evidence,” the spokesperson stated.
“The Tate brothers assert that the timing and circumstances surrounding the reappearance of these allegations raise serious questions about the motives behind this legal action,” the spokesperson added.
Mr. Andrew Tate, who gained millions of fans by promoting an ultra-masculine lifestyle, was indicted in June in Romania along with his brother and two Romanian women for human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. They have denied the allegations.
The case has since been with the Bucharest court’s preliminary chamber, which needs to decide whether the trial can start. A decision has yet to be made, with Romanian courts backlogged.
The Tate brothers were held in police custody pending the criminal investigation from late December 2022 until April, to prevent them from fleeing the country or tampering with evidence. They were placed under house arrest until August.
Mr. Andrew Tate, an American-British social media personality, has repeatedly said that prosecutors have no evidence against him and that there is a political conspiracy designed to silence him.
Romania’s anti-organized crime agency alleged that seven female victims in the case were lured with false pretenses of love and transported to Romania, where the gang sexually exploited them and subjected them to physical violence.
In December last year, Romania’s court rejected Mr. Andrew Tate’s request to return assets that were seized by authorities during investigations into the case.
These assets include 15 luxury cars, 14 designer watches, and cash in several currencies. The vehicles included a Rolls-Royce, a Ferrari, a Porsche, a BMW, an Aston Martin, and a Mercedes-Benz. Authorities said the assets were worth an estimated 3.6 million euros ($3.9 million).
Romania’s anti-organized crime agency said the assets could be used to cover the expenses of the investigation and compensation for victims if authorities could prove they were gained through illicit activities.
