MAY PEN, Clarendon — Owner of White Sand Beach Seafood Restaurant in Rocky Point Nicholas Graham is threatening legal action against the State after his home was searched and items allegedly damaged by police in his absence, yesterday.

The businessman said he has since met with his legal team and has sought advice on what steps he should take to be compensated for his distress, as well as damage to his property. Graham, who is also a resident of the Rocky Point community, claimed that a senior officer from the May Pen Police Station led a team to his house where they rummaged through his personal effects sometime after 11 am Sunday morning while he was on the scene where a plane crashed the night before.

“While I was on the crash site mi get a call seh police and soldiers were on my premises. At no point did anyone contact me or approached me with a search warrant,” he said, adding that he was fearful and paranoid about the prospect of returning home. “Right now, mi nuh know if dem plant anything or leave anything inna mi house when they were there so they can come back and arrest me for it later,” he said, noting that his home is well secured by a perimeter fencing which should not have been breached without his permission. The businessman said there has been significant damage to his home and furniture, and over $300,000 in local currency and US$207 is missing.

“Mi a tek action this time against dem because all the time dem harass me,” said the businessman, who wondered why he was not able to be at peace at his home.

Graham said he was unclear why he was targeted by the police as the crash site was approximately two miles away from his place of business. “Dem a try tarnish mi business, and a try fi make it look like illegal activities taking place at my place of my business. I’m simply a restaurant owner who sells seafood. Mi nuh know nothing at all about the plane weh crash and I was just there looking, like everybody else who was excited about what happened, so mi nuh know the reason why [police] come here come dig up mi place.”

He added that the officer has his contact details and could have called when he realised there was no one at home. “Instead, him let man inna mi house and mek dem tief mi money and ransack my place and gone,” he charged.

Graham has since visited the May Pen Police station in the presence of his lawyer and was taken into custody for questioning.