I don’t know the particulars of this pension, but most public pensions are based on the rosiest of projections and pay out much more than a comparable private plan. Usually retirement prior to 60 years old, and a large payout every month. Its not uncommon for somebody who worked for 25 years to get 20 years of pension - which is nearly impossible to make work.
You are probably right, but I can’t help but think that somebody did some “borrowing” along the way.