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Andrew Tate is to spend another 30 days behind bars after a Romanian court ruled he is too dangerous to be released – as cops continue to probe the sex trafficking case.
British-American former kickboxer Tate, 36, has maintained his innocence since he was arrested with his brother Tristan, 34, over allegations of rape, human trafficking and setting up an organised crime group.
The brothers have been in custody since December 29 after DIICOT (the Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism) prosecutors searched their Pipera villa over allegations of sex trafficking.
They are being held alongside Luana Radu, 32 – a former police officer in Bucharest – and Georgiana Naghel, 28 – a model believed to have been dating Tate for almost a year. The two models are being held in house arrest after today’s decision.
The Tate brothers have repeatedly asked to stay out of prison while the investigation goes ahead but, so far, Romanian courts have kept them in custody.
British-American former kickboxer Tate (centre back), 36, has maintained his innocence since he was arrested with his brother Tristan (left), 34
Andrew Tate is to spend another 30 days behind bars after a Romanian court ruled he is too dangerous to be released
The brothers’ lawyers earlier said they expected they would be released. Eugen Vidineac said they would ‘challenge’ a decision for them to remain behind bars, reported Gandul.
A second lawyer, Constantin Ion Gliga, said they had a ‘lot of confidence’ ahead of the outcome as they felt ‘no new evidence’ had been brought to light.
Tate told the Romanian court he is ‘being held in custody to make me mentally ill’ and claimed his detention was part of a ploy to make him succumb.
Prosecutors can ask the courts to extend the suspects’ detention for up to 180 days.
While Tate maintains his innocence, Romanian prosecutors DIICOT said in a statement they had identified six victims in the human trafficking case.
They said alleged victims were held under constant supervision against their will in the armed safehouse near Bucharest and forced to make pornographic content to be shared online.
They claim the women were sexually exploited, physically abused and mentally coerced (‘through intimidation, […] control and invocation of alleged debts’) by members of the group for financial gain.
Prosecutors say they recruited victims by seducing them and by falsely saying they wanted to marry them or be in a relationship.
Their alleged accomplices, Radu and Naghel are facing human trafficking charges and are accused of being Tate’s closest lieutenants, helping to ‘coerce’ and ‘control’ at least six women to create social media porn content under house arrest.
Last month, the Bucharest Court of Appeal heard Andrew Tate’s defence against allegations that he raped a woman staying with him in the eastern European country between November 2021 and April 2022.
Romanian news outlet Gandul reported that the woman asked to move to Romania with him and filed a rape allegation nearly six months later when he refused to give her money to buy a house and become a TikTok star.
The woman reportedly had a drug addiction when they met at the strip club she worked at in London.
Tate said he allowed the woman to move to Romania with him on her own.
‘Toxic’ influencer Andrew Tate was arrested after an online spat with climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.
A viral online war of words between the two saw the misogynist influencer brag about his collection of exhaust-belching cars.
‘Please provide your email address so I can send a complete list of my car collection and their respective enormous emissions,’ he tweeted, tagging Miss Thunberg.
She replied: ‘Yes, please do enlighten me. email me at smalld***energy@getalife.com.’
Former police officer Luana Radu (L) and Georgiana Naghel (R) are suspected of assisting the Tate brothers in the crimes they are under investigation for
The Tate brothers have maintained their innocence and have asked to be freed while the investigation continues. Tristan Tate (centre) is pictured on February 13
Tate then posted a video on social media featuring a pizza from a Romanian pizza chain, allowing authorities to confirm he was in the country.
Thunberg then tweeted: ‘this is what happens when you don’t recycle your pizza boxes.’
On a podcast prior to his arrest, when asked why he moved to Romania initially, Tate said ‘being able to evade rape allegations’ was his motivation.
He added: ‘I am not a rapist, but I like the idea of just being able to do what I want. I like being free.’
Andrew Tate’s views on women, masculinity and entrepreneurship, voiced in podcasts and shared online, became popular in 2022 as they were shared in short clips around social media.
He was ultimately banned from various platforms for misogyny and hate speech.