Berliner Tageblatt - Taiwan questions two in probe into Hezbollah pagers

Questions and speculation have swirled over where the devices came from and how they were supplied to Hezbollah, after hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies detonated across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday, killing at least 37 people and wounded nearly 3,000.

The New York Times reported this week that Israel had inserted explosive material into a shipment of pagers from Taiwan's Gold Apollo, citing American and other anonymous officials.

But Gold Apollo's head Hsu Ching-kuang denied producing the devices, pointing the finger instead at Hungary-based partner BAC Consulting KFT, who it allowed to use its trademark.

On Thursday, as part of a probe by Taiwanese investigators, Hsu and a woman from a different company were questioned by prosecutors.

Local media reported that the woman questioned was Wu Yu-jen, a representative connected to BAC Consulting KFT, who had set up a company based in Taipei called "Apollo Systems".

"Our country takes the case very seriously," said the prosecutors office from Taipei's Shilin district in a statement Friday.

"We instructed the Investigation Bureau's national security station to further interview two people from Taiwanese companies as witnesses yesterday."

The two witnesses were allowed to leave after multiple rounds of questioning.

"We will clarify the facts as soon as possible such as whether Taiwanese companies are involved or not," the office said.

It also said investigators searched four locations, including in New Taipei City's Xizhi district, where Gold Apollo is located, and Taipei's Neihu district.

Neihu district is the listed address of Apollo Systems, according to a company register website, which also showed that the firm was established in April this year.

Wu did not speak to reporters when she was brought in for questioning, according to local TV footage.

Hsu, who was shuttled back and forth between his office and the prosecutors office on Thursday, also declined to comment on the investigation.

Earlier this week, his company said the pager model mentioned in media reports "is produced and sold by BAC".

But a Hungarian government spokesman said BAC Consulting KFT was "a trading intermediary, with no manufacturing or operational site in Hungary".

G.Schulte--BTB