The high-profile restaurant chain owner dramatically arrested and charged during a Covid compliance crackdown in Sydney's south-west insists he did nothing wrong.
Rami Ykmour, founder of the hugely popular Rashays eateries, was arrested after allegedly refusing to provide his details while two of his staff were fined for not wearing face masks at the company's head office at Chester Hill on Thursday.
Footage uploaded to Facebook shows Mr Ykmour speaking calmly with an officer at the front of the office after police were tipped off about a Covid-19 health order breach by an anonymous caller.
Police allege two staff members were not wearing face masks and that the Rashays co-founder became aggressive and refused to provide his details
Mr Ykmour told Daily Mail Australia on Friday he had only being trying to support his employees, but he did not blame police for how they handled the situation.
Rami Ykmour, founder of the popular Rashays eateries, was arrested after allegedly refusing to provide his details to officers while two of his staff were fined for not wearing face masks at the company's head office at Chester Hill on Thursday. Mr Ykmour is picture with wife Shannon
Dramatic footage has also emerged of Rashays co-founder Rami Ykmour being arrested and two of his staff fined for not wearing face masks at the restaurant chain's head office
'There's nothing that I've done wrong, except back my staff 100 per cent and I will always back my staff,' he said.
'The police were doing their job. That's the way they saw it and it is what it is. We don't want to criticise. It's not time for criticising, that's for sure.'
Mr Ykmour said the community needed to band together to deal with Covid-19 and everyone had to 'keep a level head' when dealing with the lockdowns.
'Everyone, whether you're a police officer, or you're a chef, or an ambo, or a CEO, the pressures on us as human beings today especially in NSW are just next level,' he said.
'We're all one. If we all come together and help each other and work together, that's what it's all about.
'It's just about staying positive, that's what I want to try and say about the whole situation at the moment.'
Just hours into the Covid compliance blitz, officers were spotted escorting a handcuffed man outside of a shopping centre in Fairfield.
Rami Ykmour has said he was only trying to support his staff when arrested on Thursday. He is pictured with wife Shannon and children (L-R) Aliyah, Zain, Amelia and Kameelah
The confrontation emerged as more than 100 extra officers started patrolling the Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield and Liverpool local government areas on Friday.
It was announced yesterday that the extra show of force was necessary to 'ensure compliance' with lockdown restrictions as the city faces surging Covid-19 community transmission.
In the Rashays video, am officer points to several staff at reception he can see who are not wearing face masks.
Mr Ykmour suggests the workers might have been eating lunch or blowing their nose.
He claims the staff members have since put on their face masks and insists there
