The Romanian prosecutors investigating Andrew and Tristan Tate have upgraded charges against them from separate counts of trafficking to human trafficking in continued form.
The Tate brothers have been under investigation for human trafficking since December 2022, when they were arrested in Romania and imprisoned for several months. They were released into house arrest in May earlier this year.
Today, Andrew and Tristan were summoned to the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), where prosecutors informed the brothers and the press that the investigation was being broadened to address the more significant crime of human trafficking in continued form.
Investigation into Andrew and Tristan Tate upgraded
Romanian prosecutors responsible for investigating allegations of human trafficking by the Tates said that they are changing the investigation to one of “human trafficking in continued form” rather than separate occasions of trafficking.
They described this change as one that investigates a “more serious crime” than was originally being investigated. DIICOT also said that another victim had been added to the case, meaning the brothers are now being investigated for allegations brought forward by more than six women.
Tristan and I have been summoned to DICOTT offices at 10am tomorrow morning.
— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) June 12, 2023
Under Romanian law, the Tate brothers could face jail sentences for as long as ten years for trafficking adults. The Tates have denied all accusations of human trafficking, rape, and sexual exploitation.
The Tate brothers’ legal team said these changes were in the suspects’ “legal interest,” saying: “The legal framework has been revised and altered to ensure an impartial investigation is upheld.”
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Andrew Tate also responded on Twitter to the updated situation, saying: “Today I went to Dicott and they rearranged all the accusations and restructured them in a way that benefitted me massively because they don’t have any evidence.
Looks like option 2.I dont fully understand Romanian law.So let me make this simple: Today I went to Dicott and they rearranged all the accusations and restructured them in a way that benefitted me massively because they dont have any evidence.Now they will try and charge… https://t.co/7C54ZDcJ2X
— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) June 13, 2023
“Now they will try and charge me after jumping through the hoops that even made that possible with a lack of evidence.”
The case is under investigation and has not yet gone to trial, with prosecutors expected to commit them for trial at some point in June.
For more information on Andrew Tate’s arrest, check out our explainer on why Romanian authorities took him and his brother into custody.
