[Italy] ‘King of absentees’ accused of skipping work for 15 years

In one of the most blatant cases of absentee abuse they have encountered, prosecutors in Italy caught a man who managed to earn roughly €538,000 (US$647,000) over 15 years without actually showing up for a single day at his hospital job, Global News reports.

According to ANSA News, police nicknamed Salvatore Scumace (67) the “king of absentees” for his allegedly unchecked abuse of public-sector funds in the city of Catanzaro. Authorities say the man used threats to make sure his pay was not docked for missing work at the local hospital. He later fell off his employer’s radar entirely yet continued collecting pay cheques.

A story in Unione Sarda said, on paper, Mr Scumace’s was employed as a safety officer at the Pugliese Ciaccio hospital.

Mr Scumace now faces charges of abuse of office, forgery and aggravated extortion in connection with the scheme, The Guardian reports. Officials said six other managers at the hospital are also under investigation for their alleged involvement. (Links via original reporting)

Authorities say Mr Scumace’s absentee abuse began in 2005 with a “distinguished person” allegedly threatened the hospital director, warning her not to file a disciplinary report against the suspect. Police say the director complied and turned a blind eye to his absences and Mr Scumace never attended work again, though he was still being paid.

Police said that when the director retired her successor took over with no knowledge of this ghost on the payroll. Human resources also failed to notice the discrepancy.

Although it is not clear when the scheme was first uncovered, the hospital launched disciplinary action against Mr Scumace in 2020 and alerted authorities. He was fired that October and subsequently arrested as part of an investigation dubbed Operation Part-Time.

Investigators say the arrest followed extensive witness interviews and reviews of attendance logs at the hospital.

In one of the most blatant cases of absentee abuse they have encountered, prosecutors in Italy caught a man who managed to earn roughly €538,000 (US$647,000) over 15 years without actually showing up for a single day at his hospital job, Global News reports.

According to ANSA News, police nicknamed Salvatore Scumace (67) the “king of absentees” for his allegedly unchecked abuse of public-sector funds in the city of Catanzaro. Authorities say the man used threats to make sure his pay was not docked for missing work at the local hospital. He later fell off his employer’s radar entirely yet continued collecting pay cheques.

A story in Unione Sarda said, on paper, Mr Scumace’s was employed as a safety officer at the Pugliese Ciaccio hospital.

Mr Scumace now faces charges of abuse of office, forgery and aggravated extortion in connection with the scheme, The Guardian reports. Officials said six other managers at the hospital are also under investigation for their alleged involvement. (Links via original reporting)

Authorities say Mr Scumace’s absentee abuse began in 2005 with a “distinguished person” allegedly threatened the hospital director, warning her not to file a disciplinary report against the suspect. Police say the director complied and turned a blind eye to his absences and Mr Scumace never attended work again, though he was still being paid.

Police said that when the director retired her successor took over with no knowledge of this ghost on the payroll. Human resources also failed to notice the discrepancy.

Although it is not clear when the scheme was first uncovered, the hospital launched disciplinary action against Mr Scumace in 2020 and alerted authorities. He was fired that October and subsequently arrested as part of an investigation dubbed Operation Part-Time.

Investigators say the arrest followed extensive witness interviews and reviews of attendance logs at the hospital.