A Romanian court has found "irregularities" in the indictment of controversial influencer Andrew Tate for human trafficking and rape. That could derail the case, AFP reports.
The US-born Briton and his brother Tristan are accused of forming an organised criminal network in Romania and Britain in early 2021. Both have maintained their innocence.
Prosecutors say Tate, 37, his 36-year-old brother and two women set up a criminal organisation and sexually exploited several victims.
A trial date has not yet been set.
After considering the defendants' appeal, the Bucharest Court of Appeal ordered prosecutors "to remedy the irregularities in the indictment and to indicate within five days whether they support the decision to send the defendants to trial."
The court also ordered the "exclusion of the testimonies" given by two witnesses, as well as those given by Tate and his brother as witnesses in previous hearings.
Tate's lawyer Eugen Vidiniak hailed the "monumental victory for our clients".
"The court's decision to exclude key evidence and require an amendment to the indictment shows the lack of substantiated allegations against them. Justice has prevailed and this is an important step towards clearing their names," he said.
In a separate case in August, a Romanian court placed Andrew Tate under house arrest and his brother Tristan under judicial review over a new investigation involving minors.
Prosecutors are investigating "crimes related to the formation of an organized criminal group, trafficking of minors," "sexual relations with minors" and "money laundering."
The Tate family have been charged with rape and assault in separate cases in the UK, where they are also accused of tax evasion.
Andrew Tate moved to Romania years ago after first starting a webcam business in the UK.
In 2016, Tate took part in British reality TV show Big Brother but was removed after a video emerged showing him assaulting a woman.
He then turned to social media platforms to promote his divisive views.
Giving advice on how to be successful, along with misogynistic and sometimes violent rants, his videos have made him one of the most famous influencers in the world. | BGNES
