Marcus Sweeney says Andrew Tate ‘obviously innocent’, then admits he knows nothing about him

The self-professed “Celtic Tiger playboy” made the claims in his latest series of TikTok videos, where he also admitted that he actually doesn’t “know anything about” Tate at all.

Tate, whose real name is Emory Andrew Tate III, and his brother Tristan were arrested in Romania in December on suspicion of human trafficking, rape, and forming an organised crime group.

They are currently being held in pre-charge detention and will remain in custody until March 29.

Responding to a TikTok comment saying he’s “Ireland’s answer to Andrew Tate” on Tuesday, Sweeney told his followers that he discovered Tate’s online videos in recent weeks and wants to show him his support.

He believes the self-described misogynist is being punished for “something he didn’t do”, adding a claim that his online personality and podcasts are “staged”.

He then likened Tate to himself, referring to his recent CAB case in which he was described by a High Court judge as being “up to his oxters” in organised crime.

“I’m new to this. I only found the words of Andrew Tate three weeks ago. That guy is innocent because I’ve gone through what he’s been put through which is that they’re trying to control his freedom of speech,” he said in the TikTok clip.

“They are doing that by incarcerating him on a charge that is 100pc not true because it’s a staged show online. The same happened to me, as in the State didn’t like what I was doing running a wealth management company.

“They did not like that. I was passing on information on a business level to all standards of society.

“Andrew Tate is a man who has been punished by the law for something he didn’t do and his fight out of that is a very hard task because how can you defend something you haven’t done? Realistically, the situation is in the favour of that State.

“Andrew is not talking; he’s not damaging anything, so I think you should all get behind him and support him for his freedom”.

Sweeney then said that he found it unfair that Tate was being surrounded with maximum security while in custody as he doesn’t pose any real threat.

He said that “a charge like that” - mentioning only his rape charges and not his alleged involvement in human trafficking and activities in organised crime – is “disgusting to be accused of” and shouldn’t require him to be “surrounded by weapons”.

“A rape case is not action of terrorism or organised crime. It’s a civil action that’s obviously disgusting to be accused of, but he’s not a dangerous man that needs to be surrounded by weapons,” Sweeney continued.

“Ask yourself the question: ‘Do you agree with me?’ He is obviously an innocent man”.

The restauranteur then accused state media of taking away Tate’s free speech, although it is unclear which publications and/or countries he is referring to.

“Is he going to rape a man with a semiautomatic weapon and full body armour on? No. So, that is the state using fabricated media to numb his ability to (have) free speech.

“I’ve been through it. The man is innocent. I don’t know anything about him but it’s very clear from the images you’re seeing.

“You’re a smart generation. Semiautomatic weapons for a man who’s on a podcast with a claim of rape. Why would you have a man (treated) like a terrorist for a charge like that? It’s only in the favour of one thing and that’s the state that he’s incarcerated from”.

TikTok users were quick to poke fun at the Celtic Tiger high-flyer's claims, with one person dismissing the video as “garbled nonsense”.

"Yes he's innocent because Marcus says so,” another said.

While someone else joked: "Call up Romania so tell them it’s Marcus the tiger I’m sure they will just release him”.