A SHOP belonging to an Asian businessman that was visited and threatened by three men is not “near” the Falls Road, the Andersonstown News can reveal.
The shop is in fact in loyalist Twaddell Avenue on the border of West and North Belfast, just yards from the site of the two-year-long flag protest camp, which closed in 2016.
On Thursday afternoon, shop owner Ali Moustaffa Wartty confirmed to us that the shop in question is in Twaddell Avenue, clearing up confusion over his earlier claim that the premises are “near the Falls Road”.
Asked via WhatsApp if the shop where the threat was made is at 36a Twaddell Avenue, Mr Wartty replied: “Exactly.”
Mr Wartty made the claim that the shop was close to the Falls Road in an interview with the BBC’s Stephen Nolan on Wednesday morning. He said that the shop was being decorated “one month ago” in advance of opening for business when the three men entered the premises and delivered a threat to attack the premises “daily” if it started trading.
Mr Wartty said the shop was “close to Falls Road,” quickly adding, “I don’t know exactly that area.”
Businessman tells Nolan Show 3 men walked into his building close to the Falls Rd and told him if he opened his new shop , he would be attacked everyday .
— Stephen Nolan (@StephenNolan) August 7, 2024
On Nolan now
Another of Mr Wartty’s businesses, the Middle East Market on the Falls Road next to St Paul’s church, was attacked by youths on Tuesday evening. It’s believed that Mr Wartty – who’s based in England – was using that shop as a city reference point when attempting to describe the second shop’s location to the radio host.
Further questions arose about the location of the shop where the threats were made when Mr Wartty said it was “very close to the Tesco behind the Falls Road”. There’s no Tesco close to or behind the Falls Road and the nearest one is the Ballygomartin store – situated at the western end of Twaddell Avenue 200 yards from Mr Wartty’s shop.
