His lawyer Suwat Apaisak appeared instead because Sondhi was leading a rally in Sa Kaew, and requested a month-long extension, which was rejected. He also submitted a statement from Sondhi denying he had offended, or intended to offend, the King.

He said Crime Suppression Division commander Maj-General Winai Thongsong told him that Sodhi would be issued a second summons with seven days, paving the way for an arrest warrant if he failed to report.

Meanwhile, Kom Chad Luek newspaper editor Chaleaw Kongtuk yesterday reported to police to acknowledge charges against him relating to the publication of Sondhi's comments. He made no comment to police and reserved his right to testify in court. - The Nation.

House election

EC endorses another 133 winners

The Election Commission has endorsed winners in 133 of 134 constituencies where the results of the April 2 general election were disputed, secretary-general Ekachai Warunprapha said yesterday.

The 133 approvals were instead signed off via a circulated letter, rather than by decree at a meeting, said the source. "That means trouble, because there was no meeting," the source said. - The Nation.

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Firetrucks Scandal

Alongkorn files complaint 

Democrat deputy leader Alongkorn Pollabutr yesterday filed a complaint with the Foreign Ministry alleging irregularities in the government's Bt6.6-billion procurement of fire trucks and equipment from Austria for the Bangkok Metropolitan Admini-stration.

Alongkorn said the deal was signed in July 2004 between then Interior minister Bhokin Bhalakula and then Austrian ambassador Gerbert Traxl. He questioned how Traxl had signed the "Agreement of Understanding" for Steyr Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug GmbH, when the company had apparently been taken over by a US company the previous year. Also, the the Cabinet resolution on the purchase did not authorise Bhokin to sign the deal, he said. - The Nation.