Romanian court lifts house arrest of internet celebrity Andrew Tate

BUCHAREST (Reuters) -A Romanian court lifted a house arrest order against internet personality Andrew Tate, replacing it with a lighter preventative measure pending the outcome of a criminal investigation, a spokesperson for Tate said on Tuesday.

Tate has been under house arrest since August when prosecutors started a second criminal investigation against him, his brother Tristan and four other suspects. They face accusations of forming an organised criminal group, human trafficking, trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor and money laundering. They have all denied wrongdoing.

A first criminal case against Tate failed in December when the Bucharest court of appeals ruled not to put Tate on trial but rather send the case back to prosecutors. The decision, which cited flaws in the indictment, dealt a blow to Romania's anti-organized crime prosecuting unit DIICOT.

On Tuesday, judges lifted the house arrest measure as part of the second criminal investigation.

"This ruling marks a decisive step forward, granting (Tate) the freedom to travel throughout Romania while adhering to the required legal conditions," his representatives said.

Under the lighter preventative measure, known as judicial control, Tate is required to check in with police at regular intervals and is not allowed to contact other suspects or witnesses in his case. He cannot leave Romania.

The Tate brothers, both former kickboxers with dual U.S. and British citizenship, are the highest profile suspects facing trial for human trafficking in Romania.

The Tate brothers also have a British arrest warrant and will be extradited after Romanian trial proceedings finish, a court ruled in March.

(Reporting by Luiza Ilie and Alan CharlishEditing by Gareth Jones)