Taiwanese company denies manufacturing pagers that exploded in Lebanon

The head of Gold Apollo Company, based in Taiwan, said on September 18 that the pager model related to the series of explosions in Lebanon was produced by BAC Consulting Company, based in the Hungarian capital Budapest, Reuters reported today.

Gold Apollo founder and chairman Hsu Ching-kuang said they only licensed their brand to the Hungarian company and were not involved in the manufacturing of the devices.

Gold Apollo Founder and Chairman Hsu Ching-kuang

"Those products are not ours, they just use our brand," he told reporters on September 18.

At least nine people were killed and nearly 3,000 injured when pagers used by Hezbollah members exploded simultaneously across Lebanon on September 17. Reuters, citing sources familiar with the matter, said the explosives inside the devices were planted by Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad. The source said Mossad planted the explosives at the manufacturing stage of the pagers.

Israeli intelligence planted explosives in thousands of Hezbollah pagers?

Photos of the destroyed pagers show the texture and stickers on the back are similar to pagers made by Gold Apollo, according to Reuters.

According to the statement, Gold Apollo Company has allowed "BAC (Consulting) to use our brand trademark to sell products in specific regions, but the design and production of the products are entirely undertaken by BAC".

Gold Apollo says that the AR-924 model is manufactured and marketed by BAC.

Mr Hsu said there had been previous strangeness with money transfers from BAC, adding that payments had been made through the Middle East.

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs said there was no record of direct export of pagers from Taiwan to Lebanon.

Gold Apollo's chairman said the company was also a victim in the incident and planned to sue BAC Consulting. "We may not be a big company but we are a responsible company," Mr. Hsu stressed.

Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel after the pager explosions. Israel has not yet commented on the incident.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cong-ty-dai-loan-phu-nhan-san-xuat-may-nhan-tin-no-hang-loat-o-li-bang-185240918153117267.htm