Romanian court will reconsider decision to seize Andrew Tate's assets

A Romanian court has accepted Andrew Tate's request to reassess the seizure of his assets as part of a pending human trafficking criminal case.

The social media influencer is facing allegations of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women with his brother Tristan and two other Romanian women.

It is not yet clear when the trial will take place but they have vehemently denied the accusations.

In January 2023, Romanian authorities said they had seized goods and money worth 18 million lei (£3.1 million) as part of their criminal inquiry into Tate, including cash, designer watches and luxury cars, and, a month later, prosecutors said they had also seized some properties and cryptocurrency.

In December, the Bucharest court overturned the British-American influencer's challenge against the asset seizure but on Monday, the Bucharest Court of Appeals accepted his request and ordered that the seizure be reanalysed.

Technically the assets will remain seized until that reassessment and ruling is made.

Andrew Tate (left) and his brother Tristan are facing multiple criminal allegations (AP)

Eugen Vidineac, lead counsel for Tate, said: "We salute the decision today and applaud the judge for what we consider to be a legally correct and justified ruling."

While the investigation ended when the four were indicted, the case is now with the Bucharest court's preliminary chamber, which needs to inspect the files to ensure their legality.

The trial cannot start until that process is completed, but Romania's courts remain backlogged with cases.

The Tate brothers were held in police custody pending a criminal investigation from late December 2022 until April, to prevent them from fleeing the country or tampering with evidence.

They were then placed under house arrest until August. Since then, they have been under judicial control, a lighter preventative measure meaning they have regular check-ins with the police but can move around freely as long as they do not leave the country.

Tate, a self-proclaimed misogynist, has gained millions of fans by promoting a lifestyle that critics say denigrates women.