A civil servant is accused of earning nearly £350,000 by holding five full-time government jobs simultaneously, using sick notes and working from home to manage the workload.
01Summary
- 01Kashim Chowdhury, 55, from east London, allegedly held overlapping jobs at Tower Hamlets Council, the Home Office, Defra, the UK Health Security Agency and the Department of Health and Social Care between February 2020 and September 2023.
- 02He earned a total of £350,000 from these roles, the prosecution says.
- 03During a video call with his manager at the UK Health Security Agency, he wore white make-up to appear ill, but the make-up began peeling off, the jury heard.
- 04Chowdhury denies nine counts of fraud and denies acting dishonestly or intending to make a dishonest gain.
- 05The prosecution says he exploited the work-from-home culture that began during the Covid pandemic.
02Why it matters
This case highlights potential abuse of remote working policies in the public sector, raising questions about oversight and the efficiency of government hiring practices.
Answers are generated by AI from the story summary; they are not investment, health or legal advice.





