Controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan will remain in custody in Romania for a fourth consecutive month, a court has ruled.
The brothers have been detained since late December and are being investigated on allegations of rape, people trafficking and forming an organized crime group. Both have denied wrongdoing.
The Tates’ lawyers say he will be held until the end of April.
The brothers’ lawyers told a closed court session on Wednesday in Bucharest that prosecutors had brought no new evidence to Wednesday’s hearing.
They also suggested their clients’ notoriety was contributing to the decision to keep them in custody.
Spokeswoman for the brothers, Marina Petrescu said that – for the first time – the judge asked the brothers to respond directly to prosecution arguments that they were a flight risk and a risk to public order.
Despite what was described as a „dynamic exchange”, the judge ly ruled the two men should be kept in preventative custody for another 30 days, until the end of April.
She said the continued detention had „irreparably harmed” the brothers’ image and that it would „take years to rebuild their reputation”.
A lawyer acting for the Tates in the US recently contacted one of the alleged victims in the case, threatening to sue her and her family for $300m (£244m) for defamation unless she retracted her claims.
Judges have consistently justified their decision to keep them in custody, on grounds that they might pressure witnesses or interfere with evidence.
At previous hearings, investigators have reportedly presented evidence from phone calls recorded during the brothers’ detention.
Under Romanian law, suspects can be kept in detention for up to six months without trial, with the agreement of the courts.
