Lord Fusitu’a is seriously ill in Vaiola hospital, a Ministry of Health source said today.
“He is very sick,” the source told Kaniva news but gave no further details.
Recent photos of Lord Fusitu’a shared on social media appeared to show the noble looked quite ill, according to observers.
As Kaniva news reported previously, the king’s noble and Member of Parliament was sent from Tonga to a New Zealand hospital last year after he reportedly fell over and broke his leg.
His medical treatments have cost taxpayers about thousands of pa’anga, the source said.
His serious health condition today came after he accused the Prime Minister in Parliament last month saying Hon Pōhiva planned to conduct a ‘political meeting’ with Tongans in New Zealand while he was being paid by taxpayers to travel for his medical treatment.
The government bench told Lord Fusitu’a the Parliament’s law book prevents MPs from discussing anything regarding an MP who was not present in the House.
But Fusitu’a insisted there was a ‘precedent’ for this sort of law after the Prime Minister previously questioned his illness and sick leave in the House.
This has led into a heated debate with some of the other noble MPs joined in and called on Minister of Health to explain about the Prime Minster’s health condition.
However, the debate ended after the Minister of Police told the House the Prime Minister paid for his medical travel expenses with his own money.
Hon Māteni Tapueluelu said the cabinet was told the Prime Minister wanted to make a contribution.