Kerala-born Norwegian businessman Rinson Jose has been accused of involvement in selling pagers connected to the Lebanon blasts through his company Norta Global, according to a report by Hungarian news site Telex. Sofia-based Norta Global, which specialises in technology consultancy, deleted its website on Thursday. The company's office was also could not be located at its registered address.
The explosions on September 17 have sparked concerns about the involvement of several companies in the logistics behind the devices. Mail Online reported that while the pagers were produced by Hungarian company BAC Consulting under the Taiwanese trademark Gold Apollo, they were allegedly obtained through Norta Global.
When approached by news agency Reuters, Rinson Jose declined to provide any comment.
Meanwhile, the Bulgarian national security agency has initiated an investigation into the allegations but, on Friday, denied the company's involvement in supplying pagers to Hezbollah. Authorities stated that the firm's owner had “not carried out any transactions linked to the sale or purchase of the merchandise” or any activities that "fall under terrorism financing laws."
Who Is Rinson Jose?
Rinson Jose, a Kerala-born businessman, holds an MBA from Pondicherry University and a Master's in International Social Welfare and Health Policy from Oslo Metropolitan University. He relocated to Norway over a decade ago. According to his uncle, Jose last visited his hometown in November and returned to Norway in January, as reported by Manorama Online.
His father, Moothedath Jose, is a tailor and runs a shop in Mananthavady. Rinson lives in Norway with his wife, while his brother works in the UK and his sister is a nurse in Ireland, according to the Times of India.
