Star Metro - Influencer Andrew Tate facing charges in Romania leaves for US

Romanian prosecutors allege that former kickboxer Tate, 38, his brother Tristan, 36, and two women set up a criminal organisation in Romania and Britain in early 2021 and sexually exploited several victims.

Ioan Gilga, their lawyer, told CNN the brothers, who have British and American nationality and have been under judicial supervision in Romania, were headed to Florida together on a private jet.

Justice Minister Radu Marinescu said the brothers need to return to Romania for their next court appearance on March 24 and could be subject to "preventive arrest" if they fail to appear.

Four British women, who have accused Tate of rape and coercive control in a separate case, voiced concern last week that the US government might push Romania to ease the Tates' travel restrictions and let them escape.

Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu has said Richard Grenell, special envoy for President Donald Trump, raised the case with him at the Munich Security Conference earlier in February.

But Marinescu, the justice minister, told AFP on Thursday that he was "not aware of any pressure from anyone" and had "not received any kind of request from the US authorities."

A Trump administration official said they "have no insight right now on anything related to the Tate brothers" when asked by reporters if there had been any involvement in their departure.

A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office declined to comment on the situation or whether the UK wanted to see Tate extradited to Britain.

"But more widely, the prime minister has been clear that human trafficking should be viewed as a global security threat, similar to terrorism," the spokesperson added.

A Romanian court has already granted a British request to extradite the Tates, but only after legal proceedings in Romania have concluded.

- 'Retraumatised' -

In a joint statement on Thursday, the four British women said they "feel retraumatised by the news that the Romanian authorities have given into pressure from the Trump administration to allow Andrew Tate to travel."

The women are bringing a civil case in the UK against Tate, accusing him of rape and coercive control between 2013 and 2016.

Matthew Jury, the lawyer for the four women, said Starmer should raise the issue "on behalf of the many British women who Tate is alleged to have raped and sexually assaulted who may now be denied justice."

Starmer is currently visiting the United States for a meeting with Trump.

On Thursday, a Romanian court granted the Tate brothers' appeal to lift the seizure of their assets -- properties, vehicles, bank accounts, and company shares, their PR team said.

Andrew Tate moved to Romania years ago after first starting a webcam business in the UK.

He leapt to fame in 2016 when he appeared on the UK's "Big Brother" reality television show, but was removed after a video emerged showing him attacking a woman.

He then turned to social media platforms to promote his often misogynistic and divisive views on how to be successful.

Banned from Instagram and TikTok for his views, Tate is followed by more than 10 million people on X watching his homophobic and racist posts.

Last year, the Tates were sentenced in a tax fraud case in Britain.

O.Lessard--SMC