<p>ROME — Authorities have placed a half-dozen public hospital employees in southern Italy under investigation for abuse of office after they allegedly allowed a 67-year-old to draw 538,000 euros in salary over 15 years without ever working.</p>
<p>The prime suspect is also under investigation for alleged fraud and aggravated extortion. Italy’s financial police said in a statement that he allegedly had someone threaten a hospital superior in 2005 to keep him on the payroll. Subsequent superiors then failed to take action or sanction him even after launching an internal investigation.</p>
<p>Police say the suspect was officially hired in 2005 in the fire safety department of the Pugliese-Ciaccio public hospital in Catanzaro and earned 538,000 euros salary over the following 15 years. They say they cross-referenced work schedules, cell phone records and testimony from fellow hospital workers to determine he never worked.</p>
<p>The total amount translates into about $650,000 in current rates.</p>
<p>Accused along with the prime suspect are six other hospital workers and administrators. Two of them were part of a commission of inquiry launched by the hospital that, despite what the police said was ample evidence, determined the suspect couldn’t be disciplined. He was eventually officially fired in October.</p>
