A Romanian court has approved a request from authorities to extend the detention of social media influencer Andrew Tate for a further 30 days.
The U.S.-British national has been remanded in custody in Bucharest following a raid on his home on Dec. 29 during which he was arrested for alleged sexual assault and exploitation.
His brother, Tristan, and two Romanian women who were also detained at the time of Tate’s arrest have also remained in custody; however, the court in Bucharest on Tuesday allowed for the two women to be placed under house arrest.
None of the four individuals have been formally charged since being arrested almost two months ago and all four deny any wrongdoing.
It is the third 30-day extension sought by Romanian authorities who have previously cited the wealthy Tate brothers’ “financial capacity” as a concern, as it could enable them to “evade investigation, leave Romania and settle in countries that do not allow extradition.”
Andrew Tate, a controversial figure who has been banned from various social media platforms for expressing misogynistic views and claiming some women must “bear responsibility” for being a victim of rape or sexual assault, has accumulated significant wealth and resided in a renovated compound in Bucharest.
Police have seized 10 Romanian properties owned by the former kickboxing champion and impounded several luxury cars. A number of guns, knives, and significant sums of cash were confiscated from his properties by investigators.
Tate insists his arrest is political and told reporters outside the court earlier this month: “Ask them for evidence, and they will give you none because it doesn’t exist. You’ll find out the truth of this case soon.”
A tweet from Andrew Tate’s account on Tuesday praised his legal team and claimed the court had “been given a very close understanding of the Truth behind the allegations against me.”
“I can easily think myself into euphoric gratefulness for things as simple as having air to breathe. I can easily think myself into the deepest and darkest depression. I’ve seen hell. I’ve lived hell. I can produce either state,” he added.
Under Romanian law, prosecutors are allowed to apply to detain individuals for up to 180 days without charge as they continue to build their case.
