Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua has yet to respond to questions about allegations that his government was planning an expensive traditional Hū Louifi ceremony to seek forgiveness from King Tupou VI over the controversial subleasing of royal land at Matatoa.
Information obtained by Kaniva News alleges that the proposed ceremony would include a TOP$30,000 cash presentation, a pig valued at TOP$5,000, Tongan handicrafts worth TOP$9,000, yams costing TOP$3,000 and kava toho valued at TOP$3,000.
The listed items would bring the alleged expenditure to at least TOP$50,000. It has also been alleged that the presentations would be paid for with taxpayers’ money.
Kaniva News has not independently verified the proposed expenditure, whether Cabinet formally approved the ceremony or whether any public money has been allocated or spent.
Lord Fakafanua was asked to confirm whether the government was planning a Hū Louifi ceremony and, if so, explain why it was considered necessary. He had not responded by the time of publication.
Seeking Forgiveness Through Tradition
A Hū Louifi is a highly formal Tongan ceremony through which those involved express deep remorse and humility while seeking forgiveness from an aggrieved person.
In matters involving the monarch, participants traditionally approach the King in a deliberately humble manner and present cultural offerings as part of their apology.
The alleged plan appears to be connected to reports that His Majesty was dissatisfied after land he had leased to the government for a specific purpose at Matatoa was subsequently subleased under a previous administration.
The Matatoa property has attracted public scrutiny because it houses the headquarters of Tonga Power Limited and a World Bank-funded complex accommodating the Tonga Meteorological Service and the National Emergency Management Office.
Lord Fakafanua previously said documents relating to the arrangement did not indicate that anything illegal had occurred.
However, he expressed the view, during an interview with Television Tonga, that the government responsible for the sublease should have informed the King because the land had originally been leased to the government for a different purpose. It has been alleged that this position prompted the Fakafanua government to propose the Hū Louifi.
