Taiwanese Pager Company's President Questioned in Lebanon Explosives Case

The president of Gold Apollo, a Taiwanese pager company linked to explosive devices in Lebanon, was questioned by prosecutors. The detained pagers matched Gold Apollo's design, though the company claims they were made by another firm. Taiwan's government is investigating the incident, which resulted in casualties and has sparked international tension.

The president and founder of a Taiwanese pager company, Gold Apollo, was questioned by prosecutors over an incident in which thousands of pagers targeting Hezbollah detonated in Lebanon. The questioning extended late into Thursday night before he was released.

Gold Apollo's president, Hsu Ching-kuang, asserted that his company did not manufacture the devices used in the attacks. He stated that a Budapest-based company, BAC, which has a license to use Gold Apollo's brand, made them.

Despite Hsu's claims, destroyed pagers examined by Reuters bore Gold Apollo's distinctive format and stickers. Hsu declined to speak to reporters upon his exit from a Taipei prosecutor's office. Taipei's prosecution office has not yet made any public statements about the investigation.

Teresa Wu, identified as the sole employee of Apollo Systems Ltd, was another individual seen leaving the prosecutor's office on Thursday. Hsu mentioned that Teresa had been a point of contact in dealings with BAC.

Company records reveal that Apollo Systems was founded by Wu this April. The exact nature of the relationship between her company and BAC remains unclear. Taiwanese authorities have started their own probe, with police visiting Gold Apollo's office in New Taipei.

The incident resulted in at least nine deaths and injuries to nearly 3,000 people in Lebanon, with the explosives purportedly planted by Israel's Mossad. Hezbollah has vowed retaliation, exacerbating the already tense situation due to ongoing cross-border conflicts since last October's Gaza conflict.

(With inputs from agencies.)