Former kickboxer and controversial influencer Andrew Tate claims that prosecutors have no evidence against him and said there is no justice in Romania amid a human trafficking case.
Romanian police recently arrested the social media star on sex trafficking and rape allegations. He is now criticizing the criminal case prosecutors are building against him on Wednesday, saying it was "empty."
Andrew Tate's Criminal Case
As reporters were being escorted by law enforcement personnel from a police van to the offices of DIICOT, Tate said that prosecutors knew they had done nothing wrong. DIICOT is short for Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism.
The influencer added that the file was empty and called the situation unjust and unfortunate. When asked if he had hurt women before, Tate, who proclaimed himself a misogynist, said he did not.
On Wednesday, prosecutors assigned to Tate's case were conducting forensic searches of digital evidence to get more evidence against the defendant. The 36-year-old influencer and his 34-year-old brother, Tristan Tate, were taken into custody in Bucharest along with two women on Dec. 29, 2022, as per the New York Post.
The four suspects were arrested on allegations of rape and forming a criminal ring that sought to exploit women into creating pornographic material. Last week, a judge ruled that the Tate brothers would remain in court for another month and remain in custody until February 27, 2023.
Furthermore, Romanian prosecutors claim that the siblings recruited victims through seduction, pretending to be looking for a relationship or to get married to their targets. They then take them to their properties on the outskirts of Bucharest.
There, the victims would be intimated and experience physical abuse while the Tate brothers forced them to produce pornographic content for popular social media sites. Because no formal charges have been filed, the two main suspects have entered pleas. They attempted to appeal their detention earlier this month, which a judge shot down.
Human Trafficking and Rape Charges
Prosecutors also claim that Tate raped one of the victims in March of last year, an accusation he denied. The situation comes as earlier this month, Romanian authorities seized goods and money worth a total of $3.99 million, including his luxury cars and properties, as part of the investigation, according to Yahoo News.
They argued that the seizure was made to prevent the particular assets from being concealed by the suspects. In a statement, the Tate brothers' lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, said that the siblings were confident in their defense and that they were sure the evidence was in their favor.
Tate's remarks come after he posted on social media regarding his imprisonment, where he complained about his living conditions inside a jail cell. He complained about there being cockroaches, lice, and bed bugs. The former kickboxer also criticized the prison's lack of light. His message was meant for followers of his website and was titled "My first email from imprisonment," said Independent.
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