HORSE CAVE — Horse Cave’s former police chief was present at the city’s council meeting Monday night, but he did not get an opportunity to speak to the council.

That was something Ricky Sanders expected.

Sanders asked to be placed on the agenda so that he may address allegations made by Mayor Odell Martin regarding the misuse of police department funds.

“I wasn’t on the agenda, but there was another fellow there that was not on the agenda who was allowed to speak. So my question is why wasn’t I allowed to speak since he was?” Sanders said, adding he knew if he created too much of scene he would be asked to leave.

Martin alleges Sanders purchased police equipment and the purchase exceeded the available amount in the city’s drug-seizure fund.

He also alleges that Metcalfe County Deputy Sheriff Kevin Thompson was charging a purchase of “police body equipment” to the city’s general fund.

Sanders presented the council and media representatives with a statement regarding Martin’s allegations before the meeting began. In it he explained how the city’s drug fund was created and why Thompson’s name appeared on an invoice for police equipment.

“Deputy Kevin Thompson of the Metcalfe County Sheriff’s Department came to Horse Cave several times, at my request, to assist our department in drug searches with his drug-trained canine officer. Deputy Thompson assisted us on several arrests, including the arrest of Arthur Lee Brown, who, at the time, was one of the major drug dealers in Horse Cave,” he said in the statement.

As for the equipment purchased for Thompson, Sanders said he checked with Hart County Attorney Mike Nichols before making the purchase. Sanders said Thompson told him he needed the “body equipment” because the Metcalfe County Sheriff’s Department didn’t have the money in its budget to fund such a purchase.

Martin attempted to fire Sanders in May 2007, but Sanders demanded a hearing. The city’s insurance company agreed to settle with him for $7,500 and he was allowed to resign effective May 11, 2007, according to Sanders.

He also presented a copy of the lawsuit settlement Monday night to council members and media representatives.

Sanders addressed other allegations made by Martin, but then asked some questions of his own. One of them concerning the location of the brick and other items removed from the Owens Hotel property prior to the hotel’s demolition.

“I would also like to ask Martin why he demolished a house on Cave Street without receiving council approval,” Sanders said in the statement. “That action was a clear violation of Kentucky Revised Statutes, of which Martin is so found of mentioning and of which he is accused me and the former mayor of violating.”

Without getting the chance to voice his opinion on the matter, Sanders said, “I’m pretty much done at this point. I put all the facts on the table. I hope the attorney general’s office comes down. I would love that,” he said.

When asked if an investigation by the attorney general’s office was the same one Martin referred to during Monday night’s council meeting, Sanders said, “I don’t know. I hope so.”

He added that he met with David Gilbert, the certified public accountant hired to audit the city‘s 2006-07 financial records, for an hour and a half on Saturday.

“We’ll just see where that goes,” Sanders said.