BUCHAREST (Reuters)

Divisive internet personality Andrew Tate, his brother and two other suspects will remain in custody until February 27, a Romanian court said yesterday (January 19), extending their detention.

Tate and his co-accused were detained by Romanian anti-organised crime prosecutors on December 29 on charges of forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit six women. A court ruled on January 10 that the suspects should remain in Romanian police custody for a full 30 days.

Tate’s lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment. Tate and his fellow suspects have previously denied any wrongdoing.

MISOGYNISTIC REMARKS AND HATE SPEECH

Romanian authorities have said that they have seized goods and money worth 18 million lei (US$3.96 million) as part of the investigation.

Tate, an ex-contestant on the UK reality show Big Brother, gained notoriety for has been suggested by detractors as misogynistic remarks and hate speech.

His remarks got him banned from all major social media platforms, although his Twitter account became active again in November after Elon Musk acquired the platform.