An unconfirmed viral video clip circulating on social media appears to show the Whole House Committee Chair Lord Tu’ilakepa in a physical altercation with Police Minister Piveni Piukala, in which the king’s noble allegedly threw a punch before Piukala fell to the floor.
The video purportedly showed the Minister of Police wearing a red coat confronting Lord Tu’ilakepa, who appeared to be standing a few meters away in his seat, before advancing toward the Chairman.
As the confrontation escalated, Tu’ilakepa seemed to throw a punch before Piukala was seen apparently falling to the floor and bracing himself with his hands.
House staff and security officials attempted to restore order as tensions flared.
If proven authentic, the footage would contradict Piukala’s claim made during an interview on his weekly VPON Media program last night, in which he dismissed the incident as merely involving pushing each other and the application of chokeholds with security personnel.
Kaniva News has been unable to independently verify the authenticity of the footage.
The video clip has been widely shared on Facebook this evening with more than 1000 reactions and shares.
It follows an audio clip, circulated shortly after the physical altercation on Monday, which alleged that one of the leaders in question was knocked down and that injuries were involved.
As we reported on Monday, a fiery debate between the Minister of Police and the Chair of the Whole House Committee, Lord Tu’ilakepa, erupted into a full-blown confrontation in Parliament at the time, culminating in the Speaker calling security to remove the Minister from the House.
The political relationship between the Minister of Police and Tu’ilakepa had long been strained, particularly during debates on government bills and policies.
The incident originated during parliamentary debate over a proposed amendment to the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act that had been submitted by Law Minister Mo’ale Finau.
As we previously reported, Piukala and Tu’ilakepa exchange escalated into a heated argument, culminating in the Minister daring Tu’ilakepa to a physical fight.
The Speaker portedly muted the sound system as the incident escalated. The audio was shortly restored, but the livestream remained unclear about subsequent events.
It followed that Speaker Lord Fakafanua intervened, ordering security to escort the Minister out of the chamber.
The confrontation follows last week’s incident when Piukala challenged Tu’ilakepa after the Chairman remarked that he was considering making the Acting Prime Minister wear women’s clothing instead of formal men’s attire.
That heated exchange began during a high-stakes session where the Minister urged the Chair to “hide what was in his heart” and warned that the public could see the remark as demeaning to the Acting Prime Minister.
Yet the Chair retaliated by threatening to eject him from the House.
Tempers flared as voices rose, with the Minister at one point slamming his fist on the table.
Tu’ilakepa, attempting to defuse the situation, ultimately apologised to both the Minister and the Acting Prime Minister.
