Andrew Tate has secured a legal victory after a Romanian court refused to put him on trial over human trafficking charges for now.
The controversial influencer and his brother Tristan - who both say they are innocent - are accused of having formed an organised criminal network in early 2021 in Romania and in Britain, reports MailOnline.
Prosecutors allege that 38-year-old Tate, his brother, 36, and two women set up a criminal organisation and sexually exploited several victims.
However the Romanian court found "irregularities" in the indictment of Tate in mid-November and ordered prosecutors to rectify them.
On Thursday (December 19), the Bucharest appeals court said in a statement that it had decided to “return to the Public Prosecutor's Office... the case in which the indictment was issued, by which the contestants were sent to trial”.
In a statement, Tate's lawyer Eugen Vidineac hailed the court's decision as a "significant legal victory".
“They threw me in jail, took my money, my cars, and every ounce of my freedom. They made me the biggest enemy on the streets, dragging my name through the dirt with accusations of the lowest, most vile deeds a man can be accused of,” said Andrew Tate.
“This is all a lie," he added, vowing to "fight to the very end to... prove my innocence”.
His brother Tristan said the “decision to reject the prosecution's case underscores the fundamental flaws in the evidence presented”.
The 38-year-old also shared his court victory on social media, writing: “CASE DISMISSED. But I do not long for freedom. I long for justice”.
The Tate brothers also face rape and assault allegations in separate cases in Britain, where they have also been accused of tax evasion.
Earlier this week, UK police in a separate case won a legal bid to seize more than £2 million from the Tate brothers to settle millions due in unpaid taxes.
In August, a Romanian court placed Andrew Tate under house arrest and his brother Tristan under judicial control over a new investigation involving minors.
Prosecutors are investigating “crimes of forming an organised criminal group, trafficking in minors”, “sexual relations with a minor” and “money laundering”.
In 2016, Tate appeared on the “Big Brother” TV show in the UK but was removed after a video emerged showing him attacking a woman.
He then turned to social media platforms to promote his controversial views, including misogynistic and sometimes violent statements.
His X account (formerly known as Twitter) “Cobratate” has more than 10 million followers.
