By Stu Johnson
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Thirteen people will be asked to appear before the special investigative committee looking into fraud allegations in Lexington-Fayette Urban County government. Most of the 13 individuals work or have worked in Urban County government.
Patrick Johnston, director of the Risk Management Department, is expected to be the first one questioned next Monday. Johnston filed two separate fraud allegation reports.
The specifics of the allegations have not been fully released. That could change next week. Special panel chair George Meyers says government access television crews will be asked to record testimony.
"It's not a public hearing, but it's a public meeting. The committee determined that they wanted to have assurance that all the testimony is record completely in a way that we understood was recorded completed," said Meyers.
Meyers was asked why Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry was not on the list of people called to testify.
"A lot of the people that we've named to come and speak to us were named in the documents that we have as I think that is how that list was contrived. We have more documents that are coming and as more documents come in, then that may cause the committee to add more names to that list."
Mayor Newberry has said consistently both internal and external audits revealed no cases of fraud. The state auditor is also looking into the matter. The state auditors' office and the special panel are expected to release final reports in September.