Civil Servant Accused of Juggling Five Government Jobs Simultaneously
Kashim Chowdhury faces nine fraud charges, allegedly earning over £280,000 by working multiple full-time positions.
A civil servant is accused of fraudulently holding down five full-time government jobs simultaneously, earning an estimated £280,000 from concurrent roles. Kashim Chowdhury, 55, faces nine counts of fraud, alleging he lied about his employment status to secure multiple positions with various government departments.
Prosecutors claim Chowdhury began his alleged scheme in June 2020, shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic began. He is accused of telling employers he needed to work from home to care for his elderly mother and using sick notes to manage his overlapping workloads. At one point, it is alleged he was contracted to work 183 hours per week across his various jobs, exceeding the 168 hours available in a seven-day period.
<]]>Chowdhury's alleged employers included the Home Office, Defra, the Department of Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the Department for Business and Trade, the Food Standards Agency, the East London NHS Trust, and Tower Hamlets council. He reportedly earned nearly £350,000 from eight employers over three years.
During his seven-month tenure at the UKHSA between 2022 and 2023, his work was described as "very poor" by his project line manager. A colleague testified that one report Chowdhury produced was "very incomplete" and contained copied sections, requiring five hours of correction. When confronted about the subpar work, Chowdhury allegedly ended a call with his manager, accusing her of "badgering him."
<]]>Witnesses stated Chowdhury was rarely seen on camera during video calls, citing laptop issues. He also allegedly took two weeks of holiday and went on sick leave shortly after starting a time-sensitive project at UKHSA. While signed off for "mixed anxiety and a depressive disorder" from some roles, he did not inform all employers.
The prosecution contends that Chowdhury made false representations about his employment status to obtain these jobs, concealing his multiple full-time positions. The alleged fraud came to light after an investigation by the National Fraud Initiative.
<]]>Chowdhury, who resides in Whitechapel, east London, denies all charges. His trial at Southwark Crown Court is expected to last approximately three weeks.
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