What we know about firm linked to Lebanon pagers

The Lebanese authorities says 12 people, including 2 children, were killed aft thousands of pagers utilized by the equipped radical Hezbollah exploded.

BBC Verify has been looking into a steadfast called BAC Consulting, which has been linked to the accumulation of the pagers - contempt the devices bearing a antithetic manufacturer's name.

A abbreviated portion aft the explosions took spot connected Tuesday, unverified images of 2 damaged pagers surfaced connected societal media. In the photos, the connection “Gold” and a serial fig starting either “AP” oregon “AR” was visible. This indicated that a Taiwanese institution - Gold Apollo - could person been progressive successful the pagers' manufacture.

However, the steadfast enactment retired a powerfully worded connection denying immoderate involvement, saying: “This exemplary is produced and sold by BAC.”

BAC Consulting is simply a Hungarian-based institution which Gold Apollo says had support to usage its marque done a licensing agreement.

BBC Verify has accessed BAC’s institution records, which uncover it was archetypal incorporated successful 2022 and has a azygous shareholder. It is registered to a gathering successful Budapest's 14th district.

As good arsenic BAC, a further 13 companies and 1 idiosyncratic are registered astatine the aforesaid building.

However, our hunt of a fiscal accusation database does not uncover that BAC has immoderate connections to different companies oregon people.

The aforesaid database shows nary trading accusation astir BAC. For example, determination are nary records of immoderate shipments betwixt it and immoderate different firms.

However, BAC's website, which is present inaccessible, antecedently said it was scaling up its concern successful Asia, and had a extremity to "develop planetary exertion co-operation among countries for the merchantability of telecommunication products".

The website listed 1 idiosyncratic arsenic BAC’s main enforcement and laminitis - Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono - and does not look to notation different employees.

BBC Verify has learned she graduated from the University of Catania with a physics grade successful 2001. According to her LinkedIn profile, she besides holds PhDs from 2 London universities.

We person made respective attempts to interaction her, but person been incapable to scope her.

NBC has reported it had spoken to Ms Bársony-Arcidiacono, who confirmed her institution worked with Gold Apollo. However, erstwhile asked astir the pagers and the explosions, she said: "I don’t marque the pagers. I americium conscionable the intermediate. I deliberation you got it wrong."

The BBC has called BAC a fig of times, but determination is nary answer.

A spokesperson for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said the exploding pagers were "never" successful Hungary.

“Authorities person confirmed that the institution successful question is simply a trading intermediary, with nary manufacturing oregon operational tract successful Hungary,” authorities spokesperson Zoltán Kovács said successful a station connected X (formerly Twitter).

BBC Verify volition proceed to update this story.