Romanian authorities have detained online influencer Andrew Tate and served him with a British arrest warrant, according to his spokesperson.
The 37-year-old, along with his brother Tristan Tate, faced a 24-hour detention in Romania on Monday (March 11) regarding allegations of sexual aggression dating back to 2012-2015 in the UK.
The Bucharest Court of Appeal is expected to decide on executing Westminster Magistrates Court’s warrants on Tuesday (March 12), potentially leading to an extradition process.
Mateea Petrescu, the spokesperson, revealed that four women had reported Andrew Tate to UK authorities for sexual violence and physical abuse, resulting in crowdfunding for legal costs as they pursue a civil case after the Crown Prosecution Service declined prosecution. The charges against Tristan Tate in the UK remain unclear.
Rejecting the charges, the Tate brothers, who hold dual UK and US citizenship, expressed disappointment at the resurrection of allegations without substantial new evidence. Andrew Tate faces separate charges in Romania, including rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to exploit women.
Arrested in December 2022, he, along with his brother and two Romanian women, was formally indicted in June, vehemently denying the accusations.
McCue Jury & Partners, representing the British accusers, commended the British authorities for issuing an arrest warrant, expressing concern about Tate’s potential escape from Romania. They emphasised the seriousness of the accusations and the need for accountability. Managing partner Matthew Jury criticised Tate for spreading disinformation about the UK charges in media interviews.
Andrew Tate, with a significant social media following, has faced previous bans for misogynistic views and hate speech. He has consistently claimed innocence and alleged a political conspiracy against him.
The legal proceedings in Romania are ongoing, with the brothers under house arrest and restricted to Bucharest and Ilfov County. Despite winning an appeal against asset seizure in January, Romanian authorities had confiscated 15 luxury cars, 14 designer watches, and cash totaling 3.6 million euros ($3.9 million).
(With inputs from agencies)
