New Delhi, March 17 -- A Spanish civil servant, Joaquin Garcia, managed to avoid work for at least six years-possibly up to 14-while still receiving his salary.

According to The Guardian, his prolonged absence came to light only when he was due to receive an award for long and dedicated service to the municipality of Cadiz in 2010.

Garcia, a 69-year-old engineer, had been working for the local authority since 1990. In 1996, he was assigned to the municipal water board, Agua de Cadiz, where he was responsible for supervising a wastewater treatment plant, El Mundo reported.

However, it turned out that he had stopped appearing at the office for several years.

The discovery was made when Jorge Blas Fernandez, the deputy mayor of Cadiz, qu...