Civil servant accused of juggling five government jobs using remote work and sick notes

A civil servant is accused of committing fraud by holding five full-time government jobs simultaneously, allegedly earning almost £350,000 over three years. Kashim Chowdhury, 55, is on trial at Southwark Crown Court, denying nine counts of fraud. Prosecutors allege he exploited the remote working culture established during the Covid-19 pandemic and used sick notes to conceal his multiple roles.

Chowdhury allegedly held overlapping jobs at Tower Hamlets Council, the Home Office, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and the Department of Health and Social Care between February 2020 and September 2023. Prosecutors claim he made false representations about his employment status when applying for these positions, as employers would not have hired him if they knew he held other full-time roles. He reportedly told employers he needed to work from home to care for his unwell mother.

His workload eventually became unmanageable, leading to a decline in performance. He is accused of taking sick leave from some jobs while continuing to work in others, citing "mixed anxiety and a depressive disorder" but not providing sick notes to all employers. In May 2023, his UKHSA manager, Aleesha Adams, arranged a video call to discuss his sick leave. During the call, Chowdhury allegedly wore white makeup to feign illness, with his manager noticing his face appeared white while his neck was a different color. Prosecutors described this incident as "laughable" and indicative of his deceit.

The alleged fraud came to light after the National Fraud Initiative alerted Defra.