UK Court Orders Police to Seize $3M from Tate Brothers

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Above: Andrew Tate (L) and his brother Tristan inside The Court of Appeal in Bucharest, Romania, on Dec. 10, 2024. Image copyright: DANIEL MIHAILESCU/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images

The Facts

  • Devon and Cornwall Police successfully obtained a court ruling to seize more than £2.6M ($3.3M) from Andrew and Tristan Tate's seven frozen bank accounts for allegedly failing to pay taxes on £21M ($26.6M) in online business revenue between 2014 and 2022.

  • In his judgment handed down at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring said he was "satisfied on the balance of probabilities" that the pair had attempted to evade their tax obligations. Civil trials, as in this case, require a lower standard of proof than criminal proceedings.

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The Spin

Narrative A

The seizure represents a coordinated attack on those who challenge the system following failed attempts to prove human trafficking allegations. The authorities have resorted to outright theft by freezing accounts for over two years and seizing assets without justification. This action demonstrates the lengths authorities will go to silence dissent.

PA

Narrative B

The Tate brothers engaged in deliberate tax evasion through a complex network of accounts designed to conceal income. They brazenly flaunted their tax avoidance while laundering money through front accounts, making no attempt to register or pay their fair share of taxes on substantial earnings. These serial offenders must face the consequences of their actions.

Metaculus Prediction