A hospital employee in Italy has been accused of skipping work for 15 years despite receiving full pay, according to Italian police.

The man, 67, described in Italian media reports as the “king of absentees”, allegedly stopped showing up for work in 2005 at the Pugliese Ciaccio hospital in Catanzaro, southern Italy.

He was reportedly paid €538,000 (£464,000) in total over the following 15 years.

He is now being investigated for fraud, extortion and abuse of office, according to Italian news agency Ansa.

Six managers at the hospital are also under investigation in connection with his alleged absenteeism.

The man is alleged to have threatened the hospital director to stop her from taking disciplinary measures against him, according to police.

That director then retired and his absence went undetected by her successor or human resources.

The arrests are the result of a police investigation into absenteeism and suspected fraud in the public sector in Italy.

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