On Wednesday, UK police successfully secured a legal order to confiscate over £2 million ($2.5 million) from the contentious influencer Andrew Tate and his brother, in order to address millions owed in unpaid taxes.
A court in London has decided in favour of the police, who wanted to remove funds from seven frozen bank accounts as part of a civil fraud case involving the brothers.
The two men continue to stay in Romania, and Wednesday’s ruling was issued ahead of a hearing scheduled in Bucharest on Thursday. This hearing will determine if Tate, 38, a former professional kickboxer, and his brother, Tristan, 36, will face trial on charges of human trafficking and rape.
During the civil case at Westminster Magistrates Court, the police informed the hearing that the siblings had not paid any taxes on £21 million generated from their online businesses.
Devon and Cornwall police in southwest England have filed a case against them and a third individual, known only as “J,” concerning alleged unpaid taxes from earnings accrued between 2014 and 2022.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring stated in his judgement that what seemed to be a “complex financial matrix” was, in fact, a “straightforward cheat” of UK tax authorities.
During a previous hearing, attorney Sarah Clarke, who represents the police force, referenced a video shared online by Andrew Tate, in which he stated: “When I lived in England I refused to pay tax.” The court heard him state that his strategy was to “ignore, ignore, ignore because, ultimately, they will disappear.”
Clarke stated that the brothers possessed “a significant number of bank accounts” in the UK, with seven currently frozen, and asserted that money was “washed around” them. “That is what tax evasion appears to be; that is what money laundering appears to be,” she stated.
The funds were generated from products sold online and their OnlyFans subscription platforms, as stated in court.
This does not represent justice.
Tate, a US-born Briton, criticised authorities on X for their legal actions against him. “Initially, I was branded a human trafficker, but they were unable to produce even one woman to testify against me,” he stated.
“When that narrative fell apart, they resorted to blatant theft — freezing my accounts for more than two years and now taking everything they could.” This does not represent justice; rather, it is a systematic assault on those who have the audacity to question the established order,” he stated.
Andrew Tate relocated to Romania several years ago after initially launching a webcam business in the UK.
He subsequently utilised social media platforms to share his controversial opinions. His videos provide tips on achieving success, albeit accompanied by misogynistic and occasionally violent maxims, which have contributed to his status as one of the most recognised influencers globally.
Prosecutors in Romania claim that Tate, along with his brother and two women, established a criminal organisation and sexually exploited multiple victims.
Last month, following the men’s appeal of the charges, the Bucharest appeals court instructed Romanian prosecutors to address the irregularities in the indictment and to clarify, within five days, whether they will uphold the decision to proceed with the trial of the defendants.
In a different matter, a Romanian court in August put Andrew Tate under house arrest, while his brother Tristan was placed under judicial control due to a new investigation concerning minors.
Prosecutors are looking into allegations of forming an organised criminal group, trafficking minors, engaging in sexual relations with a minor, and money laundering. The Tates are also dealing with allegations of assault and r*pe in separate cases in the UK.
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