Jamaican Alton Lewis says he is not feeling irie about how he has been treated in the aftermath of a fire at Worthing Square, Christ Church, which destroyed his popular eatery, Reggae Jerk.
He told the DAILY NATION yesterday he had been given the “boot” by Worthing Square owner Sacha Soodeen, and was being blamed for some of the negative publicity that erupted after the April 16 fire.
“On May 1, I went to his office to give him some money towards payment and that’s when he told me he didn’t want me there . . . . So he don’t want me back. I tell him let me ride out my lease because my lease will be up January next year, and he told me he rent the place already, that it’s not available.”
When the DAILY NATION contacted Soodeen, he refused to publicly address comments made by Lewis and would only say: “We wish him well.”
Lewis confirmed that after the fire, officials from Town Planning Department, Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and the Ministry of Health visited the complex.
“Half of the vendors are not insured and half of the vendors are not right with Town and Country Planning and there is no planning permission. So how am I getting all the blame?” he asked. (MB)
