Ex-MP Mustafa defends call to spit in President’s face, but denies he made tweet

Former Thimarafushi MP Mohamed Mustafa said Tuesday that it wasn’t he who made the tweet via a Twitter account in his name offering to pay MVR 50,000 to anyone willing to spit in the face of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, but that the sentiment was justified.

The tweet in question was made Sunday night.

He was summoned to the police for his statement Monday, and summoned again Tuesday to have his statement signed.

.@ibusolih ge Moonah Kulhu jehi meehakah 50,000/ rufiyaa ge inaameh dheynan!!!

— Mohamed Musthafa (@Thimarafushi) February 5, 2023

Speaking to Sun after exiting the police headquarters, Mustafa said multiple people had access to the ‘Thimarafushi’ Twitter handle, which he said is used for affairs related to the Thimarafushi constituency.

“Two or three more people tweet from that account. My phone is kept on the table in my home. There are two or three people who use it,” he said.

Mustafa said he refuses to condemn the tweet.

“Whoever did it, I will not condemn the sentiment expressed in the tweet. I like what was said. I don’t believe it requires as apology,” he said.

Mustafa said that though spitting in people’s face may be new to Maldives, it is done in the rest of the world.

Mustafa is a member of ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). He had backed MDP’s leader Mohamed Nasheed in the party’s recent presidential primary, which Nasheed lost to President Solih.

Police also recently launched an investigation into a tweet by Male’ City Council’s spokesperson Mariyam Shiuna, which called for the current administration to be overthrown through bloodshed.