Andrew Tate says he has been 'unfairly attacked' for being a 'wealthy man' following court appearance
21 June 2023, 13:57
Andrew Tate says he and his brother Tristan are "not the first affluent wealthy men who have been unfairly attacked" after their court appearance in Romania.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The siblings have been charged with rape and human trafficking women in Romania. The women were allegedly controlled by "constant surveillance", according to prosecutors.
Two Romanian women - Luana Radu and Georgiana Nagel - were also charged in the case, which was revealed on Tuesday. They also appeared in court arriving half hour before them and accompanied by their lawyer.
The brothers deny all the accusations. If convicted they face years in prison.
Asked by reporters as he arrived at court “how much money have you made from trafficking women?”, Andrew Tate snapped back: "Zero."
He went on: "We’re not the first affluent wealthy men who have been unfairly attacked."
Read More: 'I believe in justice and God' Andrew Tate lashes out at Romanian prosecutors ahead of court date
Tate also wished to give "special thanks to Romania".
He continued: "The number of Romanian people who send me messages is absolutely fantastic.
"This is my home. I love this country, I’m going to stay here regardless no matter what, and I look forward to being found innocent at the end of everything."
The pair arrived for the preliminary hearing which is expected to last all day and where a judge will decide if to proceed to a full trial.
Surrounded by media and flanked by bodyguards, Tate made his comment about "God and justice" as he entered the court building which saw several TV camera crews fall over in the melee.
Read More: Andrew Tate charged with rape and human trafficking in Romania
Tate, 36, took to social media last night to lash out at the indictment, claiming it was issued as part of a broader conspiracy against him being carried out by the 'Matrix'.
In the first 13-minute clip, Tate attacks the media over what he says is unfair treatment - and thus, he claims, proving 'the Matrix' is working against him.
In the latest clip, he claims that he has "been offered to sell my soul very many times."
Claiming to answer what happens next, Tate suggests that he is expecting charges to be brought against him in the UK.
"Don't know what for, I've done nothing wrong," he says on this suggestion. "Something's going to appear from nowhere."
He then says that he has "very high-level friends and whistleblowers who are confirming exactly that."
Police detained Tate and the other three suspects in late December last year and they were placed under house arrest at the end of March.
"While this news is undoubtedly predictable, we embrace the opportunity it presents to demonstrate their innocence and vindicate their reputation," Tate's media team said in response to the indictment.
They added the case "allows us to present a comprehensive body of evidence, diligently collected and prepared over time, which will undoubtedly substantiate the brothers' claims of innocence".
Romanian authorities have asked for the defendants to stay under house arrest.
The four are accused of forming an organised criminal group in early 2021 "with a view to committing the crime of trafficking in persons on the territory of Romania, but also in other countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom," DIICOT prosecutors.
They said the organised criminal group sexually exploited seven victims "through acts of physical violence and psychological coercion".
The victims were forced "to engage in pornographic acts with a view to producing and disseminating such material via social media platforms," DIICOT prosecutors said.
A dual citizen of the United States and Britain, former kickboxer Andrew Tate moved to Romania years ago, after first starting a webcam business in the UK.
In 2016, Tate appeared on 'Big Brother' but was removed after a video emerged showing him attacking a woman.
He then turned to social media platforms to promote his divisive views. He currently has 6.9 million followers on Twitter.
