Cherdpong is a familiar face to reporters on the military beat because he works in the Security Keeping Centre of the Supreme Command and is Defence Minister Thamarak Isarangura's personal photographer. He has been with Thamarak since he joined politics.

Cherdpong and Thamarak have had close ties since they were stationed together in the South. Cherdpong was then a captain, and Thamarak persuaded him to become his personal photographer.

Both men have dark complexion, but Cherdpong is chubbier than Thamarak and has a bigger paunch.

Meanwhile, the commander of the First Infantry Division of the Royal Guard, Maj-General Pruen Suwannathat, claimed he was with Thamarak on the day shown in the still pictures.

"I reported to him over some work for an hour. Thamarak showed me pictures about roaming elephants. General Yuthasak Sasiprapa, adviser to the defence minister, was also with us. I did not see anyone one else," Pruen said. "It is very difficult to meet him [Thamarak]. I have to seek permission to meet him."

Democrat Party secretary-general Suthep Thuagsuban presented the nine still photographs, claiming to show representatives of small political parties visiting the Defence Minister and deputy leader of the Thai Rak Thai Party, at the opening of a Criminal Court trial on Monday.

Suthep has accused the Election Commission of dereliction of duty in failing to take action against the Thai Rak Thai Party for hiring small parties to run in the April election.

He criticised Thamarak yesterday for his choice of words in defending himself.

Thamarak said he feared for the life of witnesses in the case and, when challenged, said that if he was lying he should be shot in the head.

"He has the right to defend himself," Suthep said, "but the way he spoke when challenged made me feel uneasy. I insist that nothing will happen to the witnesses in this case at the hands of Democrats. We are not gangsters. If anything happens, it will be done by the other side. This is the real Thaksinomics. It uses dark state powers."

Suthep denied having had close ties with Nam Yimyaem, the chairman of the EC sub-committee that investigated the alleged payments by Thai Rak Thai to small parties so they would run in the election. Thamarak earlier accused Suthep of learning about the probe before it was revealed to the public.

"I do not know him [Nam] and I only met him once at the EC meeting. I knew [about] the findings after everyone else, including the Thai Rak Thai Party," Suthep said.

Pongsak Bunsol, a former Thai Rak Thai MP and Thamarak's close aide, said the allegations against Thamarak were a set-up.

"Many MPs feel sorry for him and have called him to provide moral support because he was a sitting duck target," he said.

Pongsak refused to answer when asked if the allegations against Thamarak were a set-up by a key leader of the Thai Rak Thai Party. This related to a rumour circulating in the party that Thamarak is engaged in a power struggle with a particular figure over leadership of the party in the Northeastern region.

Surachai Baochanya, a Thai Rak Thai Party legal official, denied that the party has deserted Thamarak, leaving him to fight his own case.

"We are providing full legal assistance and calls from Northeastern MPs are flooding in to give him moral support," he said.