Andrew Tate wins final court case for return of seized property

Controversial influencer Andrew Tate has won an appeal in a Romanian court to reassess the restitution of his assets that were seized while he awaits trial on human trafficking charges.

In addition to trafficking, Tate is accused of rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women with his brother Tristan and two other Romanian women.

In December, the Bucharest court rejected the Anglo-American influencer's challenge to the seizure of assets, but on Monday, the Bucharest Court of Appeal accepted his request and ordered the seizure to be re-analyzed.

The ruling sent the previous decision back to a new trial, meaning the Tate brothers will be able to return to court and mount a new effort to recover their seized assets.

Through their adult content, social media sites and online courses, the brothers are said to have amassed a multi-million fortune and acquired expensive properties, cars and personal items.

In January 2023, expensive cars were seen being removed from one of their properties near Bucharest, while watches worth millions were also confiscated.

Eugen Vidineac, Tate's lead attorney, said: “We welcome today's decision and commend the judge for what we believe to be a legally correct and justified decision.”

Both brothers have vigorously denied the accusations against them, including that they exploited women through their adult content business.

Seven alleged victims were identified in court documents, while two Romanian female associates were also charged alongside the brothers for aiding their criminal group.

They were first arrested in December 2022 and spent the following months in prison before being placed under house arrest. They are currently unable to leave Romania and face trial on an unconfirmed date.

In a message posted on his official Twitter account, Andrew Tate said a court will now have to prove that the wealth was acquired illegally in order to justify the pending seizure, adding: “They won't prove anything because it never happened.”