Police have arrested and charged a man with two counts of causing serious bodily injuries in connection with an incident at the Savalalo fish market last Saturday.

The attack on the two men by a machete-wielding man was captured on video and uploaded to social media after 2pm last Saturday.

The man, according to a post on the Samoa Police Service Facebook page, has been remanded in custody until the 22nd of June 2020 for mention. 

The Police said the suspect was armed with a machete and got into a vigorous tussle with two other males, as shown in a video clip that went viral on Facebook.

Two male victims were admitted at the Motootua Hospital’s intensive care unit due to serious multiple injuries sustained from the vicious attack. 

An investigation into the incident is being done by the Police’s criminal investigation division.

Police Commissioner Police Commissioner Fuiavaili'ili Egon Keil told Samoa Observer last Saturday that the Police had evidence as well as witnesses who saw the attack.

“We have arrested one and the other two injured are held at the hospital now,” he said. “I have the names but we won’t release them and we still don’t know the details of why this happened but it’s very unfortunate.”

Alosina Seumanutafa Faalia, the member of the public who uploaded the viral video, said he witnessed the alleged attack at the fish market.

“The two boys whom he struck with his machete were rushed to the hospital after getting severely injured by the hits of his machete,” he said. “It was scary for members of the public when he went around the market after that with his machete like a boss.”

Mr. Seumanutafa said that the attack is connected to reports that the machete-wielding man borrowed money from one of his two victims and refused to pay it back. 

“That’s what the female whose husband is the brother of the one that fell into the sea after getting hit by this guy (with the machete) told me,” he said.

The video footage showed an altercation between the machete-wielding man and an unidentified man, whom he struck with his machete, leading to him falling into the harbour adjourning the fish market.

The other unidentified male tried to stop the machete-wielding man from causing more harm, only to be chased around the market by the angry man, and consequently frightening members of the public who were there to do their market.