Minister Oana Toiu said she immediately left the event and had no idea the Tates would be there
Romanian Foreign Minister says one of the Tate brothers tried to approach her at a reception in Washington last week prior to their arrest at the weekend in Miami.
Oana Țoiu was in the U.S. last week on official visit and attended a reception organized by Paolo Zampolli, US President Donald Trump’s envoy for Global Partnerships.
In an interview for Adevărul on Monday, Toiu she said that she left the reception when one of the Tate brothers tried to approach a group she was chatting with.
The reception took place the day before she met US Secretary for State, Marco Rubio.
“When the presence of the Tate brothers was reported there, in fact one of the Tate brothers approached us in a bigger group, obviously I asked to leave,” she said.
She said she was not aware the Tate brothers would be at the same reception.
“I didn’t know who was on the guest list, I had no say over the guest list and no information. We are talking exclusively about public conversations in a public setting in the presence of several people,” she said.
She says she left when she saw that one of the Tate brothers was trying to start a conversation with her group.
“The moment one of the Tate brothers entered the group, there was a conversation with no connection to their case or crime. Obviously the only natural reaction for a diplomat is to leave this reception,” Țoiu said.
“That’s when I and several of others left,” she said.
Arrested in Miami
Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan were arrested on Saturday afternoon in Miami, by US federal authorities at the request of Britain which is seeking their extradition.
British prosecutors said Andrew Tate, 39, is charged with seven more counts of rape, as well as other crimes, including sex trafficking and child pornography.
Tristan Tate, 38, is charged with one count of sexual assault, two counts of rape and three counts of organizing or facilitating human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Tate brothers arrested in US as UK brings more rape, trafficking charges against them
