Man who skipped work for six years is caught out... after being nominated for a long service award

Caught out: he didn't turn up to work in six years
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Hannah Al-Othman16 February 2016

A Spanish man who had not turned up to work for six years was rumbled after being nominated for a long service award.

Civil servant Joaquín García was eventually hauled before the courts in Cádiz when his long absence was finally noticed.

He was fined almost €27,000 (£21,000), the maximum the court could award, but had been drawing a salary of €37,000-a-year (£29,000) for the role at the Aguas de Cádiz public utilities provider.

Officials in the town of Cádiz were preparing to present García with an award for long service when it transpired he had not turned up to work for six years.

It appeared that both local council and the utilities company thought the other organisation was supervising García.

Jorge Blas Fernandez, who served as the city’s deputy mayor from 1995 to 2015, said he was given an office in the municipal building, and was not heard from for more than a decade.

A legal case was launched against him 2010 after further inquiries revealed he had not turned up to work since 2004.

“We thought the water company was supervising him but that was not the case,” he added.

“We found out when we were about to present him with a commemorative plaque for 20 years of service.”

After a lengthy legal battle, García, who claimed he had turned up each day but found nothing to do, reportedly lost his appeal at a Cádiz court on Thursday and will have to pay his fine.

In his defence, García said he had a family to support and feared it would be difficult to find another job.

He spent his time reading extensively and became an expert in philosophy.

The 69-year-old was not dismissed from the role, as he had already retired.

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