The controversy surrounding the leaked video of a fight in Tonga Parliament has intensified, with Police Minister Piveni Piukala questioning its authenticity and his supporters alleging AI was used to fabricate portions.
The footage, which circulated widely on social media this week, showed Piukala and MP Lord Tu’ilakepa in a fight, culminating in a punch that allegedly sent the minister falling backwards.
However, in his weekly appearance on VPON Media last night, Piukala expressed astonishment at the video, strongly implying that key moments—including his fall—were digitally manipulated.
“If that punch was real, I would have been knocked unconscious or at least injured,” Piukala said in Tongan, turning his face toward the camera to show no visible marks.
He strongly denied sustaining any injuries, suggesting the visible punch failed to connect.
The Minister told viewers that given the force from his direct contact with Tu’ilakepa, a punch to his face should have caused serious injuries – yet none were visible.
He challenged the authenticity of the clip, pointing out that he immediately stood up after the supposed knockdown—behaviour he argued was inconsistent with the force of the alleged blow.
The host missed the opportunity to directly ask whether the punch connected elsewhere. Footage seemingly showed Tu’ilakepa striking at Piukala’s face before his fall, yet the Minister displayed no visible injuries – leaving many to wonder why the Minister showed no injuries.
His latest remarks follow a Tuesday livestream, just one day after the incident, where he similarly displayed his unmarked face to disprove injury claims.
Shortly after the altercation, an audio clip—accompanied by a featured image of Parliament’s interior—was shared on social media. The clip allegedly claimed Piukala was knocked to the floor and injured. However, Kaniva News reviewed the audio and compared it to FM87.5’s live broadcast of the parliamentary session, and can conclude it was a voice-over reenactment rather than an authentic recording.
We had previously located the audio but have been unable to relocate it, as the file appears to have been removed from social media.
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems designed to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as recognising speech, analysing images, making decisions, or generating content.
Advanced AI can create realistic but fake videos, photos, or audio—known as deepfakes—by manipulating real footage or generating entirely synthetic media.
While AI has many beneficial uses, its ability to alter or fabricate realistic content has raised concerns about misinformation, especially in politics and news. The controversy over the leaked Parliament brawl video highlights growing challenges in distinguishing real recordings from AI-manipulated ones.
Supporters of the minister have since amplified allegations of AI tampering, claiming the video was edited to misrepresent events.
Kaniva News has reviewed one of the videos and identified apparent edits, evidenced by the repeated sequential display of the punch and Piukala’s fall. Meanwhile, another footage posted by 1News showed that the punch—apparently—did not land directly on Piukala’s face, but since his hands made contact with Tu’ilakepa’s punching arm, the force still caused him to fall backwards.
Despite the growing debate, Parliament has yet to release an official statement on the leaked footage. Meanwhile, Speaker Lord Fakafanua has suspended both Piukala and Tu’ilakepa for five days, barring them from proceedings and withholding their salaries.
Public Reaction Split
The leaked video has sparked fierce debate between Piukala’s and Tu’ilakepa’s supporters, with some dismissing the AI manipulation claims as political damage control, while others insist the footage requires forensic analysis.
Lord Tu’ilakepa could not be reached for comment.
However, as we reported on Wednesday, a photo shared on Facebook by MP Johnny Taione—apparently taken the evening after the altercation—shows the Chairman with no visible marks or signs of injury.
