A longtime public employee in Brazil is under investigation after authorities uncovered a scheme in which he reportedly clocked in at work, then left less than two minutes later. This happened every day for nearly two years.
For some context
According to a Newsflare report, the case centres around 56-year-old Luciano Gaspar Daru, an administrative technician employed at the Municipal Finance Department in Ponta Grossa, Paraná. According to local officials, Daru routinely arrived at City Hall wearing shorts and flip-flops, clocked in for duty, and left shortly afterward.
CCTV footage from March this year captured one such incident: Daru entering the building and leaving just one minute and 15 seconds later.
He allegedly returned later each day to falsely register his departure, making it appear he had worked his full shift.
Investigators say this routine spanned from August 2023 to June 2025, during which Daru continued to collect his full salary of around BRL 2,300 ( ₹35,000) per month. He earned approximately BRL 33,000 ( ₹5 lakh) in total while performing no actual work.
How the city worker raised suspicions
The scheme came to light after coworkers became suspicious of his informal dress and brief appearances. They noticed that Daru was regularly showing up in flip flops and shorts. Following internal concerns, a police investigation was launched.
{{/usCountry}}The scheme came to light after coworkers became suspicious of his informal dress and brief appearances. They noticed that Daru was regularly showing up in flip flops and shorts. Following internal concerns, a police investigation was launched.
{{/usCountry}}On July 15, police chief Derick de Moura Jorge confirmed that Daru had been indicted for inputting false data into the government’s administrative system to illicitly claim wages. The crime carries a potential prison sentence of two to 12 years, along with a fine.
During questioning, Daru, a career public servant of 26 years, reportedly admitted to the wrongdoing, acknowledging that he failed to perform his duties for nearly two years while continuing to receive payment, causing a direct loss to the public treasury.