MILAN - - A police officer, Antonio S., who went sick for as many as 540 days during a four year period has been ordered to pay over 46,000 euros in compensation by the Regional Public Prosecution Office for the Lombardy Court of Auditors. 

 The 58-year-old off-duty inspector was absent from work for medical reasons: in addition to swimming competitions at ‘Master level’, he also took part in refresher shiatsu courses.

 The absentee officer, who has been out of service for some time now and has already been sentenced to two years' imprisonment for aggravated fraud with a final ruling by the Court of Cassation dated 15 Feb, 2022, held the position of chief technical inspector in the Lombardy-Emilia Romagna technical-logistics and assets service. This office is responsible for planning and programming the goods and services requirements of the territorial police bodies.

 In the four-year period that the magistrates are investigating, Antonio S., 57, is alleged to have accumulated, 'with artifice and deception', almost a year and a half of leave, with a progression of: 68 days in 2014, 126 in 2015, 138 in 2016 and 208 in 2017.

 Prior to the subpoena, it emerged that in the meantime the former inspector had already made arrangements with the Ministry of the Interior to pay the 46,520.01 euro fine in instalments. “Since restitution," reads the Lombardy Court's verdict, "had indeed already positively begun (first payment of 15,000 euros on 13 Oct 2022), the Regional Prosecutor's Office decided not to insist, at this stage, on the claim for compensation for direct damage (while continuing to monitor Mr. S.'s correct payment of the subsequent instalments under the repayment plan on the pre-established due dates).”

 But the matter is not over because the magistrates also contested the image damage, quantified by multiplying by two the amount unlawfully collected.

 In his defence statement, S. contested the claim for damages, but at the same time filed an application for admission to the abridged procedure for the payment of the subsidised sum of 27,912 euros, less than one third of the total. On 19 Dec, 2022, the Prosecutor's Office gave the go-ahead; and on 13 April, the transfer arrived.

 The former inspector was also ordered to pay the €239.71 litigation costs, according to the principle of “virtual acquiescence”: “From the evidence in the file,” the judges wrote, “it is sufficiently clear that he was responsible for the offence ascribed.”

 es