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Civil servant accused of faking illness with make-up while juggling five public sector jobs
Overview
A civil servant, Kashim Chowdhury, is on trial at Southwark Crown Court accused of nine counts of fraud for allegedly earning nearly £350,000 by holding five full-time government roles simultaneously between February 2020 and September 2023. Prosecutors claim he exploited remote working arrangements, used fake sick notes, and even applied white make-up during a video call to appear ill to his manager. Chowdhury denies all charges.
Key points
- Kashim Chowdhury allegedly held five full-time government roles simultaneously, earning nearly £350,000.
- He is on trial at Southwark Crown Court facing nine counts of fraud, which he denies.
- Prosecutors claim he used white make-up during a video call with a manager to fake being ill, but it began to peel off.
- His overlapping jobs included roles at Tower Hamlets Council, the Home Office, Defra, the UK Health Security Agency, and the Department of Health and Social Care.
- He allegedly exploited remote working culture introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic and claimed he needed to work from home to care for an unwell mother.
- The alleged fraud was uncovered after the National Fraud Initiative alerted Defra.