Alvarado to talk to grand jury

The District Attorney's investigation into improper bonuses received by four former City Hall employees has finally reached the next stage.

Houston Councilwoman Carol Alvarado and four former city employees fired for taking $143,000 in bonuses that officials say were not authorized are expected to appear this week before a grand jury, prosecutors said Monday.

The grand jury subpoenaed the four fired workers in the Office of Mayor Pro Tem, ordering them to appear Wednesday. Their former boss, Alvarado, has agreed to testify voluntarily on Friday, Assistant District Attorney Don Smyth said.

The panel is expected to spend at least two weeks hearing from witnesses and reviewing evidence before deciding whether criminal charges are warranted, he said.

"We're just trying to let a grand jury sort it out and decide who ought to be indicted, if anybody," said Smyth, chief of the office's governmental affairs bureau.

Well, at least we now have some definition of the word soon. Let's get this on and see where we go next.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on September 19, 2006 to Local politics | TrackBack