Trending News: A government official in Thailand had been reportedly receiving his salary and bonuses for a decade even though he rarely went to office and never put in a full day's work. The man is a musician by night, and his night-time gigs left him too tired and with little energy to pursue his day job, local newspaper The Thaiger reported.
The government official held the position of a Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Officer in central Thailand's Ang Thong province, and the 'truth' about his work life was revealed on social media by popular Facebook page, Watchdog, which usually brings to light alleged irregularities on part of Thailand government agencies, the report said.
The man, who was not named in the report, was never fired from his job, or even penalised, for remaining absent from work. He would occasionally go to the office, when summoned by the local mayor, and get reprimanded but was never subjected to any kind of scrutiny. According to the report, he would sometimes go to office, and sign some documents retroactively, only to disappear again.
This continued for nearly a decade, and the man continued to receive his salary and bonuses.
ALSO READ ON ABP LIVE | Airline Shocker: Live Rodent Crawls Out Of Passenger's Flight Meal
Up Yo 10-Yr Prison Term For Corruption In Thai Law
The post by Watchdog, the Facebook page with 1.1 million followers, has sparked outrage over the lack of putting accountability on officials, according to reports.
While Thai law has provisions for up to 10 years' prison term for officials involved in corruption, who can also be slapped fines ranging from 2,000 to 20,000 baht (around Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000), according to a report in the South China Morning Post, which also said the local government has not yet commented on how it intends to punish the official.