Tongan cabinet minister, Akosita Lavulavu, and her husband, Etuate, are now in Tongatapu s Hu atolitoli Prison.
Jailed for fraud they have lost a bid for bail as they prepare for an appeal in March.
The Lord Chief Justice Michael Whitten denied them bail, ruling he doubted their prospects for success on appeal.
The Lavulavus had run the Unuaki o Tonga Royal Institute, but falsified the number of students enrolled when applying for vocational education training grants, pocketing the state money the school was sent.
Our Tonga correspondent, Kalafi Moala, says this is the first successful corruption case before the courts in years and he senses the people are delighted at the outcome.
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