Bucharest:
A Romanian court on Friday ordered controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother to be transferred from prison to house arrest while they are investigated for alleged human trafficking and rape.
Tate, a British-American former kickboxer with millions of online followers, along with his younger brother and two Romanian women, is under investigation for allegedly “forming an organized crime group, trafficking and rape”.
Tate, 36, and his brother Tristan, 34, were arrested in late December and have since been remanded in custody, which was extended again last week.
However, an appeals court “rejected the prosecutor’s proposal to extend the pre-trial detention” and ordered the couple to be “placed under house arrest”, according to a court ruling, which was reviewed by AFP.
The brothers – who deny all charges against them – were expected to be released later on Friday.
Media thronged the entrance of the prison where they are being held.
Once there, one of their lawyers, Eugen Vidineac, said he had not been informed of the details of the court’s decision.
The brothers have repeatedly said there is no evidence against them, while their lawyers have argued that they do not pose a flight risk and should be released.
– Seized luxury cars –
The two men moved to Romania several years ago and Tristan has a baby boy who was born since his arrest.
As part of the investigation, Romanian police raided several properties associated with the Tate brothers and seized many of their assets, including a collection of luxury cars.
A January court document said a UK woman was “recruited” after falling in love with Andrew Tate, who then brought her to Romania “for the purpose of sexual exploitation”.
The brothers and the two Romanians have also detained, allegedly trafficked, recruited and exploited women by forcing them to “act pornographically for the purpose of producing and distributing such material online”.
Showing off his bulging muscles, cigars and fast cars, Tate’s social media videos fascinate millions of teenage boys.
Offering tips on how to be successful, along with misogynist and sometimes violent maxims, the Briton’s output has made him one of the world’s best-known influencers.
In 2016, Tate appeared on the reality TV show “Big Brother” in Britain, but was removed after a video emerged showing him assaulting a woman.
He then turned to social media platforms to promote his divisive views before being banned for misogynistic comments and hate speech.
Tate was allowed back on Twitter after South African billionaire Elon Musk bought the company.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is being published from a syndicated feed.)