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The committee authorised Kaewsan Atibhodi to lodge the complaint on its behalf.

"The actual complaint is expected to take place next week after finalising preparations," committee spokesman Sak Korsaengruang said.

The committee had no choice but to initiate legal proceedings against Pinthongta after she refused four times to comply with a summons, he said.

Under the graft law, a person convicted of refusing to testify can be jailed for up to six months and be fined up to Bt10,000.

A source said the committee might also charge the lawyers and aides who advised Pinthongta against cooperating with the investigation.

Meanwhile, the committee approved the Amnuay Tantara report to release Bt200 million in frozen funds held by the ThaiCom Foundation after establishing that Pinthongta donated the money in good faith and her funds had not been linked to ill-gotten gains.

It also ruled to freeze Bt87 million held in four bank accounts and linked to Thaksin's lawyer Somporn Pongsuwan. The order was made on suspicion about the questionable routing in connection with another account worth Bt100 million. More than Bt95 million had been withdrawn right before it was frozen in July.

In regard to opposition to the appointment of the Nam Yimyaem panel to look into the purchase of fire-fighting vehicles, the committee backed the panel to carry out its job.

Former Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej argued that Nam had a personal grudge against him in investigating his involvement in the deal. The committee countered that Samak failed to demonstrate how the hearing chaired by Nam was unfair to him.

By Budsarakham Sinlapalavan