Civil Servant Accused of Fraudulent Earning of £280,000 While Holding Multiple Full-Time Jobs

A civil servant is accused of fraudulently accumulating £280,000 by working multiple full-time jobs simultaneously, Southwark Crown Court has heard. Kashim Chowdhury, 55, allegedly provided false information on job applications to secure overlapping positions with organizations such as the Home Office and the Department of Health and Social Care.

Prosecutors stated that between February 2020 and September 2023, Chowdhury held eight different jobs, earning a total of £349,378. At one point, he was reportedly employed in five full-time roles, with a contracted workload of 183 hours per week.

During the trial, jurors were shown job application forms where Chowdhury listed his employment at Tower Hamlets council but denied having existing civil service employment. He is also alleged to have told employers he needed to work remotely to care for his elderly mother and used sick notes to manage his workload.

Witnesses described Chowdhury's performance as poor and that he appeared unable to complete basic tasks when he did attend work. His line manager at the Department for Business and Trade from December 2022 to May 2023 noted that he was not operating at the expected grade, took no initiative, and failed to ask questions. Colleagues reportedly grew frustrated by his performance, unaware he was working other full-time jobs concurrently.

Evidence presented included a job application for an export service project officer role at the Department for Business and Trade, submitted in August 2022. When asked if he was already a civil servant, Chowdhury answered 'No.' His employment history listed Tower Hamlets council, St Joseph’s Hospice, and Crisis UK. He also agreed to a declaration on the form. On a subsequent pre-employment check form, he again listed Tower Hamlets council as his most recent employer, but answered 'Yes' when asked if he had previously worked for the civil service.

In a Home Office project manager application from November 2021, the question regarding existing civil service employment was also answered with 'No.' While documents indicated formal offers were made for some positions, it was not established if Chowdhury began working in all of them.

Chowdhury, who resides in Whitechapel, east London, denies nine counts of fraud. The trial is ongoing.