TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Shilin District Court (士林地院) dismissed a damages lawsuit against Gold Apollo (金阿波羅), a Taiwanese manufacturer of paging devices, on Monday (Jan. 26) due to procedural failures by the plaintiffs. In September 2024, a series of explosions involving pagers and wireless walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group and designated terrorist organization, drew international attention due to Gold Apollo's brand markings on the devices.
Prosecutors investigated the incident and found that Gold Apollo had signed only a brand authorization memorandum, while a separate company, Frontier Group Entity, had independently manufactured the devices. Authorities found no evidence implicating Hsu Ching-kuang (許清光), chairman of Gold Apollo, or any related personnel, and concluded the criminal case without charges against the company or its executives.
Thirteen foreign nationals subsequently hired Taiwanese legal representation to file a damages lawsuit against Hsu and contact person Wu Yu-chen (吴玉蓁), among others. The Shilin District Court (士林地院) highlighted procedural issues, noting that the plaintiffs' civil complaint and legal aid application lacked signatures. The power of attorney documents had not received certification from Taiwan's overseas missions, rendering the procedure invalid.
In November 2025, the court ruled that the plaintiffs must submit the necessary certification documents within 40 days to proceed with the civil lawsuit. The plaintiffs failed to provide the required documents within the stipulated time frame and offered no valid justification for the delay. The court dismissed their case on Monday (Jan. 26), ending the legal proceedings against Gold Apollo and its executives. ◼
