Cristiana, who played a role in the Lebanon explosions, reportedly consulted for an EU agency

It has emerged that a Hungarian woman linked to the explosions involving pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday served as an "external expert" for the European Union (EU).

According to a report by the Brussels-based website EUobserver, Cristiana Barsony Arcidiacono, a Hungarian national who allegedly played a role in supplying the exploding pagers to Lebanon and is claimed to have worked for the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, served as an "external expert" consultant for the European Commission's Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) between 2021 and 2023.

In a statement, the European Commission emphasized that Cristiana Barsony Arcidiacono was not a permanent employee of EU institutions.

In a statement to the US-based NBC channel, Barsony Arcidiacono admitted that she worked for the Hungarian firm BAC Consulting KFT, which was revealed to have sold the pagers that exploded in Lebanon, and that the firm was an "intermediary" in the supply of thousands of pagers to Lebanon.

Barsony Arcidiacono also claimed to have worked at the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) in Budapest, a claim that was denied by the EIT.

While Hungarian Government Spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs argued that the pagers in question were never in Hungary, it was stated that the Hungarian Parliament's National Security Committee would meet on September 26 to discuss the matter.

BULGARIA ALLEGATIONS REGARDING THE EXPLOSIONS

While the connection between individuals linked to the explosions in Lebanon and EU institutions has drawn attention, it has also been alleged that a Bulgaria-based firm named Norte Global, registered to a Norwegian national, was part of the supply chain.

Reports in the Hungarian press emphasized that BAC Consulting and Norte Global were "shell companies" with no offices, facilities, or staff other than their CEOs.

The Bulgarian State Agency for National Security (DANS) stated that an investigation into the matter was underway, sharing the information that "no customs operations indicating that the products in question passed through Bulgaria have been detected."

WHAT HAPPENED?

On September 17, simultaneous explosions occurred in pagers used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon. 12 people, including two children, lost their lives, and 2,323 people were injured in the explosions.

Following the detonation of numerous walkie-talkies in the country on September 18, 25 people died and more than 608 were injured.

While Lebanese officials hold Israel responsible for the incident, there has been no statement from Israel regarding the matter yet.

Clashes between the parties have been occurring intermittently on the Israel-Lebanon border since October 8, 2023.

News Source: 12punto