Kashim Chowdhury, a 55-year-old civil servant from east London, is currently appearing at Southwark Crown Court to face nine counts of fraud.
Prosecutors allege he fraudulently earned over £284,000 by working multiple overlapping government jobs between 2020 and 2023.
During this period, he held eight separate public sector roles, despite being contractually obligated to work full-time hours for each organization.
Addressing the court, Chowdhury expressed surprise at the criminal charges, asserting he never intended to act dishonestly. He described his mental state during that time as being on “auto pilot,” comparing his routine to that of a “robot” because he was not thinking clearly about his professional commitments. He denies acting dishonestly or intending to make a dishonest gain.
Workload and Scheduling Details
- In May 2023, he was under contract for 183 hours weekly, which exceeds the total hours available in a seven-day week.
- By March 2023, he had secured a Home Office position while maintaining full-time contracts at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the UK Health Security Agency, the Department for Business and Trade, and the Food Standards Agency.
- To manage his obligations, he claimed he worked extended shifts from 07:00 until 20:00 or 21:00 on both Saturdays and Sundays.
- Chowdhury maintained that his arrangements were “informally” agreed upon via text messages, though he noted these devices were missing following a police house search.
The prosecution challenged his integrity by highlighting his employment history, noting he began the Home Office role while concurrently on sick leave from three other positions.
Prosecuting barrister Lucy Organ questioned how he could perform new work while being medically unfit for his existing ones, asking, “You were using these sick notes to be able to cope. It was all too much wasn’t it?”
Chowdhury rejected the claim that he was overwhelmed or dishonest. He argued that he did not actively seek the Home Office position, claiming he was promised adequate support and flexible hours. He insisted that his work was primarily output-based, allowing him to manage his responsibilities independently, and emphasized his desire to continue working despite the mounting workload.
Key Job Details
- Adding: “I wanted to carry on working, chowdhury rejected the suggestion.
- In May 2023, Chowdhury was contracted to work 183 hours a week, more than the number of hours in seven days.
