22 September 2024 , 20:43
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A Bulgarian company with Norwegian links has surfaced in the supply chain of the pagers that detonated in Lebanon this week, killing 37 people and injuring several thousand others.
The pagers, which were being used by members of Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful proxy in the Middle East and designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, exploded simultaneously across Lebanon on September 17.
The devices looked like those made by Taiwanese-based Gold Apollo, but the company said on September 18 that the pagers were actually produced by a Hungarian company called BAC Consulting.
Norta Global Ltd., a Bulgarian company registered in Sofia in April 2022, has now emerged as one of the possible players in the supply chain of the deadly pagers. Norwegian Rinson Jose is listed as its sole owner.
Now, new findings point to additional connections in Bulgaria and Norway.
Here’s what RFE/RL has learned so far about the companies and their shadowy owners.
Norta Global Ltd., a Bulgarian company registered in Sofia in April 2022, has now emerged as one of the possible players in the supply chain of the deadly pagers. According to Telex.hu sources, the Hungarian company was only involved on paper and the actual logistics were handled by Norta Global.
Bulgarian records reveal that the company has no employees, minimal profits, and is operating from an address linked to Agentsya Za Novy Firmy, a Bulgarian shell company agency.
When RFE/RL reporters visited the address on September 18, Atanas Atanassov, one of the owners of Empresi, the company representing Norta Global, refused to answer any questions.
Similarly, the co-owner, Eli Atanasova, ended the call abruptly when questioned about Norta Global. Their lawyer later confirmed Norta Global as a client but gave no details about its sole owner: Rinson Jose.
Rinson Jose, a Norwegian citizen born in 1985, does not have a significant online presence. His LinkedIn profile shows a background in business administration, with education in India and Oslo. His professional experience includes various business roles in Oslo, and he is registered on an entrepreneurial platform seeking partners and funding.
Jose is also connected to another company called NortaLink; while the Norta Global website is currently nonexistent, its archived version has a link to NortaLink’s Facebook page.
RFE/RL tried to contact Jose through LinkedIn and a phone number connected to Norta Global, but received no responses.
While the Bulgarian State Agency for National Security said already on September 19 that, contrary to the reports about Norta Global, custom records showed no trace of pagers leaving Bulgarian territory, it came out with another statement early on September 20 denying the company’s role in the Lebanese explosions.
"Together with the National Revenue Agency, the Interior Ministry, and the Customs Agency, it was established beyond doubt that no communication devices were imported, exported, or manufactured in Bulgaria," the agency said.
Additionally, the agency claimed that Norta Global also "did not carry out financial operations that would fall within the scope of the Law on Measures Against the Financing of Terrorism and it does not have any commercial relations with individuals or legal entities under sanctions by the UN Security Council or the Council of the European Union."
RFE/RL’s own investigation into international trade databases found no import or export records for Norta Global or from Bulgaria to Taiwan.
The Hungarian Connection
While information about Rinson Jose is sparse, the public profile of the Hungarian woman behind BAC Consulting -- the company named as the producer of the pagers by the Taiwanese company Golden Apollo -- is much more substantial.
Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, 49, confirmed her involvement with the pagers to NBC on September 18, but said she was only an intermediary.
Following the news, the website of BAC Consulting was deleted on September 18, but the archived versions claimed to offer consulting in environmental, developmental, and international affairs.
The site listed Barsony-Arcidiacono as CEO and founder, identifying her as a strategic adviser in innovation and internal affairs. Her diverse background spans physics, sustainability, business development, digitalization, and even arts and crafts. She has cited organizations like UNESCO, the European Commission, and the International Atomic Energy Agency as among her previous employers.
Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono
Among her academic achievements, she boasts of a PhD and several master’s degrees from prestigious U.K. institutions. While RFE/RL confirmed her PhD from University College London, other universities have not yet responded.
The Hungarian news outlet HVG verified her 2008 internship at the International Atomic Energy Agency; additionally, they quoted her former colleague and academic co-author Akos Kover as saying that “Cristiana struggled to find a job after her PhD” and lived with her grandmother, a situation that continued for years.
He also said she did not pursue any scientific work after completing her doctorate and that his own recent attempts to contact her via e-mail were unsuccessful.
Although Barsony-Arcidiacono’s social media presence remains visible, including an Instagram page showcasing her drawings, her digital footprint is beginning to fade. Until recently, she was listed as the chief sustainability officer for Eden Global Impact Group, but the entire “Who We Are” section, including her profile, has now been removed from the page.
Additionally, her LinkedIn profile claims she is on the board of the Earth Child Institute, but the group told the BBC that she has never been part of their board.
RFE/RL has attempted to reach Barsony-Arcidiacono via phone, e-mail, and in person but has not yet been successful.