Romanian Attorney General Radu Marinescu called for public explanations why controversial social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate were allowed to leave the country on Thursday.
The brothers are currently facing charges of trafficking in people in Romania – a travel ban that had been put in place for more than two years before lifting, allowing them to fly to the United States.
Marinescu has requested a special prosecution service Dilcot to “conduct any investigations needed to reveal the truth”.
Andrew, 38, and his brother, Tristan, 36, strongly denied the allegations against them.
The brothers are dual American citizens and were first arrested in Romania in 2022.
They were accused of human trafficking and formed an organized group to sexually exploit women in Romania. Andrew Tate is also charged with rape.
In the United States, they also face civil cases of a woman who accused the brothers of forcing her to do sexual work and then slandered her after she provided evidence to Romanian authorities.
The brothers also face separate charges of rape and trafficking in the UK.
They spent several months in Romania, after prosecutors announced Thursday that the travel ban had been lifted and the two were sent back to them, even if the investigation into their alleged crimes had not been withdrawn, they were expected to return to Romania.
However, their withdrawal has raised concerns that prosecutors feel political pressure from the Trump administration. The U.S. president said Thursday he knew nothing about their release.
Romanian Attorney General said there was a “risk trial” if the Tate brothers failed to return to Romania to face continued investigations against their case.
“There are appropriate legal mechanisms to resolve this situation,” Marinescu said. This could be a reference to an extradition treaty between the United States and Romania.
This appeal is something that many Romanians express concerns that there seems to be a law that has an impact on the rich and influential people, and there is a law for ordinary citizens.
