Andrew Tate, a well-known influencer and former kickboxer, has had his detention in a Romanian jail extended for a third time.
The decision was made by a judge after prosecutors were granted permission to prolong his stay behind bars twice already, and this time it will be for another 30 days.
Tate, along with his brother Tristan and two other women, are being held on suspicion of organized crime and human trafficking, although none of the four suspects have been formally charged yet.
The Romanian anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, reportedly petitioned to have the Tate brothers remain in prison.
However, the two women have been released on house arrest.
When deciding to keep Andrew and Tristan behind bars, the judge considered the ‘particular dangerousness of the defendants’ as well as their capacity ‘to exercise permanent psychological control over the victims’.
According to BBC, lawyers for the Tate brothers claimed that prosecutors didn’t submit any new evidence to justify keeping them locked up.
Tate and his brother are alleged to have recruited women by seducing them and falsely claiming to want a relationship or marriage.
Prosecutors also say that the women were forced to produce pornographic content under duress.
Tate is accused of raping one of his victims in March last year, something he has denied alongside the other charges.
Before the verdict, the influencer claimed on Twitter that he’d recently scored a big legal win. “My Legal team has done a fantastic job today,” he said. “As of today, the Judges have been given a very close understanding of the Truth behind the allegations against me. True colors were brought to light.”
However, following the decision to keep him behind bars, he wrote: “I will meditate deeply over this decision.”
Since he was detained on December 29, authorities have seized multiple items worth around £3.25 million from Andrew Tate’s estate, including an Aston Martin Vanquish S Ultimate, a Rolls Royce Wraith, and a Porsche Carrera 4S 911.
Romanian authorities have confirmed that they took the luxury cars to ‘sustain the cost of the investigation’ and could be used as collateral to fund reparations towards Tate’s alleged victims.
The case has drawn widespread attention due to Tate’s celebrity status and the serious nature of the charges against him.
As the investigation continues, more details are likely to emerge, and the outcome of the trial will be closely watched by both supporters and critics of Tate.
In the meantime, he will remain behind bars for another 30 days, while prosecutors continue to build their case against him.
