BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) – Romania's Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the human trafficking case against influencer Andrew Tate, his brother and two Romanian women has been cleared of multiple legal and procedural irregularities by prosecutors. Therefore, the court ruled that the case could not be brought to trial.
The sentence came two years after Andrew Tate, 38, and his brother Tristian Tate, 36, were arrested along with two women. The four are accused of human trafficking and forming a criminal organization to sexually exploit women, with Andrew also facing additional charges of rape.
The Bucharest Court of Appeal's decision is a major setback for Romania's anti-organized crime agency DIICOT, but it does not mean the Tates and the two women will be released. The case is not over yet. Another lawsuit against the Romanian brothers.
The court effectively sent the case back to prosecutors, who can now submit new evidence to support their charges or amend or change existing evidence. In November, the same court gave prosecutors five days to amend their case file or withdraw their case.
It was Tate's lawyers who asked the Court of Appeals to reconsider the case. His spokesman, Mattea Petrescu, said the court's decision “confirms the lack of reliable evidence and consistency in the accusations” made by prosecutors.
“This review revealed serious procedural deficiencies, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the investigative process and further undermining the credibility of the prosecution's case,” she said.
Romanian prosecutors formally indicted the Tate brothers and two Romanian women last year, and a Bucharest court ruled earlier this year that a trial could begin but did not set a date. All four deny the charges.
After Thursday's sentencing, Andrew Tate said prosecutors “took years to prove their case” and “ripped my life apart…and still have nothing.”
“They threw me in jail and took all my money, my car, and my freedom. They have sullied my name with the accusations,” he said.
“But I've never been broken,” he added.
In a November ruling, the Court of Appeals ruled that some evidence, including witness statements from two alleged victims and statements from the Tate brothers, should be deleted as inadmissible.
The court also said it identified multiple flaws in the prosecution's case, including failing to adequately explain the charges against Andrew to one of the alleged female victims who was part of the case. , said the charges against the two female suspects were not appropriate. Presented.
The indictment also did not specify the amount associated with forfeiture of assets in the case.
Prosecutors did not immediately comment on Thursday's decision.
Eugen Vidinac, one of the Tate brothers' lawyers, said the ruling was a “significant legal victory” that “correctly determined that there were insufficient grounds for the case to proceed.”
“This decision is a testament to the strength of our legal system and the integrity of our judges,” Bidinac said. “Let this serve as a warning to those who seek to weaponize falsehoods. Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate will not be silenced, and neither will the truth.”
Andrew Tate, who has amassed more than 10 million followers on social media platform X, has repeatedly claimed that Romanian prosecutors have no evidence against him and that there is a political conspiracy to silence him.
Meanwhile, a British court ruled on Wednesday that police can seize more than 2.6 million pounds (about 330 million yen) to cover years of unpaid taxes in a separate case against the Tate brothers. was lowered.
Andrew Tate has accused the UK government of freezing his account as a “total theft” and said it was a “coordinated attack on those who seek to challenge the system”.
In August, Romania's DIICOT filed a second case against the Tate brothers, investigating allegations of human trafficking, trafficking of minors, sex with minors, influencing speech, and money laundering. They also deny those charges.
The Tate brothers appeared before the Bucharest Court of Appeal in March in a separate case after British authorities issued a warrant for their arrest on sexual assault charges in a British case dating from 2012 to 2015.
The Court of Appeal granted Britain's request to extradite the Tates, but only after legal proceedings in Romania had concluded.
After their initial arrest in December 2022, the Tate brothers were held in police custody for three months before being transferred to house arrest. Their movement was then restricted only within the city of Bucharest and the neighboring county of Ilfov, as well as within Romania.
