Sudchai Bunchai, a member of the Democracy for the People Network, filed the complaint at Dusit police station against Chanapat na Nakhon.

Sudchai and his lawyer also supplied police with newspaper clippings of Chanapat's allegations and photocopies of Sudchai's bank passbooks.

Chanapat, leader of a group called Democracy for the People, allegedly said recently Sudchai had received money from Newin Chidchob, a former member of Thaksin Shinawatra's deposed government, to stage a rally against the junta on Constitution Day on December 10. On Sunday, Newin's lawyer filed a police complaint against Chanapat accusing him of defamation.

Sudchai, 42, said yesterday he had communicated via the Internet with someone called Te Mu Chin, who proposed himself as the leader of the rally. Later he met Chanapat, who told him that he was Te Mu Chin.

Sudchai said his group found out later that Chanapat was not Te Mu Chin. Chanapat was also found to have a link with certain political parties, which caused Sudchai and his group to withdraw from Chanapat's group, Sudchai said.

"We didn't talk with Chanapat after we withdrew," Sudchai said, adding that Chanapat now was campaigning on his own and had little support from anyone because they suspected he had ulterior motives.

Sudchai said he would hold a press conference today to defend himself.