Andrew Tate & Brother Hit Another Snag In Quest For Freedom

Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan's woes do not seem to be ending anytime soon. 

In a fresh, unexpected twist, the brothers' attempt to regain control of £10 million [over $12 million] worth of assets, including multiple luxury cars and watches, confiscated by law enforcement in January 2023, has ended in defeat.

Although a judge initially dismissed Andrew and Tristan's appeal to reclaim their assets last December, the Bucharest Court of Appeal overturned the decision in January.

Thus, the brothers were slated to learn the extent of the assets that would be returned to them on Friday.

However, things did not go as planned, with a source close to the situation confirming that their attempt to retrieve the assets was unsuccessful.

As mentioned above, authorities confiscated £10 million worth of assets from the controversial duo in January 2023. The assets comprised company investments valued at £84k [$105k] and 21 Bitcoin worth approximately £440k [$554k]. 

Among the seized assets were 15 luxury cars, 14 luxury watches, and 10 properties located in and around Bucharest, Romania. 

According to The Sun, the collection of watches includes three Patek Philippe, three Audemars Piguet, two Hublot, two Rolex, one Breitling, one Cartier, one Akribos, and one Ulysse Nardin.

The list of cars seized by Romania's anti-organized crime police unit DIICOT includes five Mercedes, three Porsche, two BMW, two Ferrari, one Lamborghini, one Aston Martin, and one McLaren. 

Andrew and his brother are embroiled in a sex trafficking investigation, with charges filed against them. DIICOT initiated the probe following the brothers' arrest in December 2022, during which authorities seized multiple blocks of land and two opulent residences owned by them in Voluntari. 

A judicial informant previously disclosed that if the Tates are convicted of the crimes leveled against them and lack the funds to compensate their alleged victims, their assets will be auctioned off to cover the owed amounts.

Nearly two weeks ago, Andrew and Tristan were arrested on charges dating back to 2012-2015. As The Blast reported, Westminster Magistrates' Court in London issued a European arrest warrant, with an ongoing investigation. 

Despite vehemently denying all allegations, the internet figures have vowed to contest the charges through their representatives vigorously. During their court appearance, they were flanked by four police officers, two in riot gear. 

Their arrest came after legal counsel for the four women accusing him of sexual assault and rape learned of Andrew's potential plans to flee Romania and promptly notified British authorities. 

Andrew and Tristan's ordeal had previously taken a hit in July 2023 when they were instructed to remain under house arrest for another 30 days.

The ex-kickboxer and his brother were placed under house arrest in Bucharest, Romania, in March 2023 after their initial arrest. Andrew subsequently aired his thoughts on the extended indoor stay, writing via X:

"After 93 days being locked in a Romanian dungeon, I am now entering my 5th month locked in my house. A judge decided this morning that my detention must continue. The war rages on."

The post immediately caught traction, with critics of Andrew's misogynistic views applauding the decision. "Be grateful, if I was the judge I would've made sure you never enter Romania again," one person declared

Another commenter penned, "Good news! Tate is an abuser. He even admits much of his crimes in his own words. It's because he's a criminal, he can't even understand how evil he is. Enjoy your incarceration!"

When Andrew was formally charged with rape, human trafficking, and orchestrating a criminal syndicate to exploit women in June 2023, we highlighted that the charges were filed in Bucharest. 

Tristan and two women, Luana Radu and Georgiana Naghel, who were also placed under house arrest, were implicated in the exact charges. 

In response to these developments, the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism [DIIOT] released a statement affirming that the four defendants established a criminal group in 2021 with the aim "to commit the crime of human trafficking."

The group stands accused of luring and transporting seven female victims, purportedly subjecting them to physical violence and sexual exploitation during operations spanning across Romania, the U.S., and Britain. 

In their pursuit of justice, the women who filed the complaint against the Tates recently launched a crowdfunding campaign on Crowd Justice.

They quickly surpassed their initial goal of £8k [$10k], which led them to rally support to reach £50k [$63k] for the campaign. This heartfelt plea accompanied the campaign:

"We are three survivors of Andrew Tate's violent and misogynistic ideology. During his time in the UK, Tate subjected other women and us to serious and violent sexual and physical assaults. Despite facing prosecution in Romania, he has never been held accountable for his crimes in the UK."

The women also stated their intention to take steps to prompt "a criminal investigation in the UK and pursue a civil case" against Andrew for "compensation" to assist in rebuilding their lives.