Saxena's mother may bolster the defence

"Amrit Sarup may travel from Canada to give advice to him during the trial. It remains to be seen in the next few days whether she will come," said Khamnuan, who represented Saxena in the long-running extradition case between the Thai and Canadian authorities.

He said Saxena had not contacted him since his arrival in Thailand last Friday.

Khamnuan said Saxena had not explicitly implicated any politician as being involved in the BBC scandal when he represented him during the extradition process.

Chief police investigator Pol Maj-General Panya Mamen yesterday said he had submitted additional investigation reports regarding Foreign Ministry interpreters' roles in his interrogation to public prosecutors.

Saxena may not be brought to the South Bangkok Criminal Court for the hearing on a second round of detention, because it could be held via videoconferencing, Corrections Department director-general Chartchai Sutthiklom said yesterday.

"If he really needs to show up at the courthouse, extra protection will be provided by Department of Special Investigation agents, special warden units and special-operations policemen, in addition to normal protection by prison guards," he said.

He said Saxena was under the close care of doctors and other medical staff and that his prison meals were regularly inspected.

Saxena's wife and other relatives reportedly left food and clothing for him after visiting hours on Monday, in order to avoid media attention.

Meanwhile, the team of public prosecutors working on the indictment against Saxena will decide this morning whether to indict him today or next Tuesday, Seksan Bangsombun, director-general of the Attorney-General's Office's Department of Economic Crime Litigation, said yesterday.

The decision will not be influenced by a court decision scheduled for Tuesday in a case in which Krirk-kiat Jalichandra, for whom Saxena worked as an adviser at BBC, has already been indicted by a lower court.