Romania: Andrew Tate denied luxury assets

A court in Romania’s capital has denied a request by online influencer Andrew Tate to return assets that were seized during investigations, reports Arab News Plus agencies.

This decision 22nd of March came a week after the Tate brothers appeared at the Bucharest Court of Appeal in a separate case. According to the brothers’ spokesman, British authorities issued arrest warrants over allegations of sexual aggression in a UK case dating back to 2012-2015. 

The former professional kickboxer along with his brother Tristan Tate and two Romanian women were arrested in December 2022. They had been charged with human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, to which they have denied all allegations.

Andrew Tate, who has gained a mass following of 9 million followers on the social media platform X, has claimed there is a political conspiracy to silence him and that prosecutors have no evidence against him. He was previously banned from various prominent social media platforms for expressing misogynistic views and hate speech.

READ: Greta heated exchange with UAE influencer busts the internet  

Once the Tates were detained, Romanian authorities seized an estimated total value of €3.6 million worth of goods. Fifteen luxury cars, including a Rolls-Royce, a Ferrari, a BMW, a Porsche, a Mercedes-Bens and an Aston Martin were seized along with fourteen designer watches and cash in several currencies. 

Tates spokesperson stated that the Bucharest Tribunal ruled that all assets seized will remain in possession of Romania’s anti-crime agency (DIICOT). The Romanian influencer won an appeal in January challenging the asset seizures, which triggered a retrial.    

DIICOT stated it had also identified land-owned companies registered to the Tate brothers and more than ten properties. The anti-crime agency said that if the authorities could prove that the Tates’s assets were gained through illicit activities, they could be useful to fund investigations and compensate victims.

The Romanian case is still in the preliminary chamber stages when defendants can challenge prosecutors’ evidence. No trial date has been set yet. 

Last week, the Bucharest Tribunal, the court of first instance, extended geographical restrictions against the Tates by sixty days, which stipulate they may not leave the country. 

The Romanian court has granted the British authorities their request to extradite the Tates, but only after legal proceedings against them have been conducted in Romania.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Arab News/ Agencies.