A civil servant stands accused of accumulating nearly £350,000 by simultaneously holding five full-time public sector positions between February 2020 and September 2023, exploiting sick leave and remote working arrangements to manage the workload.
Kashim Chowdhury, aged 55 and from east London, faces nine counts of fraud at Southwark Crown Court, which he denies. The prosecution alleges he acted dishonestly and intended to secure financial gain through deception, though the defendant contests both claims.
According to prosecutors, Chowdhury obtained these positions by making false statements about his existing employment when applying. The overlapping roles spanned Tower Hamlets Council in east London, the Home Office, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the UK Health Security Agency, and the Department of Health and Social Care. Additional reporting indicates he also worked for East London NHS Trust, the Department for Business and Trade and the Food Standards Agency, with one account placing his total earnings at £284,613 during the period of overlapping employment.
The trial commenced on 13 October 2026 and was continuing as of 14 October, with proceedings expected to last approximately three weeks.
How did the scheme operate?
Chowdhury exploited the shift to remote working that emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic, prosecutors contend. He informed his employers that he required home-based work to provide care for his mother, who he described as unwell. According to reports from the trial, Chowdhury was contracted to work 183 hours per week across his five roles at one point, an arrangement that prosecutors argue became unsustainable.
The court heard that his workload eventually exceeded what he could manage, resulting in deteriorating job performance. To maintain the deception, Chowdhury obtained sick notes from medical professionals citing "mixed anxiety and a depressive disorder," but he selectively distributed these documents—not providing them to all his employers simultaneously.
What evidence did prosecutors present?
The prosecution presented what they characterised as a striking demonstration of Chowdhury's willingness to deceive. During a video meeting in 2023 organised by his manager at the Health Security Agency, Aleesha Adams, to discuss his sick leave, Chowdhury allegedly wore cosmetic makeup on his face to simulate illness. According to the account presented to the jury, the makeup began separating on his forehead during the call, revealing his actual skin beneath. At the time of this meeting, he was receiving payment for five concurrent full-time positions.
Lucy Organ, prosecuting, told the court:
"There could be no doubt about it, the defendant had applied make up to his face for this Teams meeting to try and pretend to his line manager that he was unwell. This almost laughable incident demonstrates, we say, quite how far the defendant was willing to go in his deceit."
How was the fraud discovered?
The scheme came to light through the National Fraud Initiative, a government programme designed to detect fraud across public bodies. The initiative alerted Defra to irregularities in Chowdhury's employment records, triggering the investigation that led to his prosecution.
What is Chowdhury's defence?
Chowdhury denies all nine counts of fraud. He contests the prosecution's assertion that he acted dishonestly or that he intended to obtain any dishonest gain through his employment arrangements.
Key Facts
- Chowdhury held overlapping positions at five government departments and agencies between February 2020 and September 2023
- He allegedly earned approximately £350,000 during this period by simultaneously drawing salaries from multiple full-time roles
- The trial began on 13 October 2026 and was expected to continue for around three weeks
- Prosecutors claim he used false employment declarations when applying for positions and fabricated medical reasons for requiring remote work
- The fraud was uncovered by the National Fraud Initiative, a cross-government anti-fraud programme
