A civil servant who secretly maintained multiple full-time public sector jobs at the same time has been found guilty of nine counts of fraud after earning hundreds of thousands of pounds through overlapping employment.
Kashim Chowdhury, 56, from east London, worked across eight public sector organisations between 2020 and 2023, sometimes holding several full-time positions simultaneously without telling his employers.
At one point in spring 2023, the hours contained within his various employment contracts added up to 183 hours a week, despite there being only 168 hours in seven days.
The prosecution accused Chowdhury of “deliberate, intentional dishonesty” and said he had exploited weaknesses in the public sector employment system.
After around seven hours of deliberations, a jury unanimously found him guilty of eight counts of fraud by false representation and one count of fraud by failing to disclose information.
Eight Overlapping Public Sector Roles
Between 2020 and 2023, Chowdhury held eight full-time public sector positions which overlapped for varying periods.
His employers included Tower Hamlets Council, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the East London NHS Foundation Trust, the Department of Health and Social Care, the UK Health Security Agency, the Department for Business and Trade, the Food Standards Agency and the Home Office.
Annual salaries for the positions ranged from around £38,000 to more than £52,000.
The salaries shown for each role represent their full annual rates rather than necessarily the exact amount Chowdhury received during the period he worked there.
Prosecutors said his total earnings from overlapping public sector employment were around £350,000, of which more than £284,000 was fraudulently obtained.
Five Jobs Overlapping At Same Time
By spring 2023, Chowdhury had accumulated a remarkable number of simultaneous government positions.
During the period covered by the prosecution case, he was working for Defra, the Department of Health and Social Care, UKHSA, the Department for Business and Trade, the Food Standards Agency and the Home Office.
At one stage, five full-time roles overlapped.
The combined contractual commitments amounted to 183 hours per week.
Prosecutors argued that it was impossible for Chowdhury to properly fulfil all of those positions at once.
Employers Were Not Told About Other Jobs
The court heard that Chowdhury provided inaccurate information about his existing employment when applying for new roles.
Once recruited, he also failed to tell government departments and other public bodies that he continued to work elsewhere.
The prosecution said this allowed him to repeatedly obtain additional salaries while existing employers believed they had recruited him as a full-time member of staff.
He was largely permitted to work remotely after telling employers that he needed to care for his mother, with whom he lived in east London.
She had dementia and was later diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2023.
Prosecutors Say Sick Leave Helped Him Manage Workload
The prosecution argued that Chowdhury also used periods of sickness absence to manage his overlapping workload.
In March 2023, he was reportedly signed off sick from four organisations while continuing to work for the Home Office.
The court heard evidence from managers who described difficulties with his performance and availability.
Dan McCartney, who managed Chowdhury at Defra, said he had to effectively tell him what to do throughout his employment.
McCartney also said Chowdhury repeatedly kept his camera switched off during video calls, blaming technical problems.
Despite those concerns, Chowdhury was not subject to formal performance measures and later secured a permanent role at Defra, where he remained for around two years.
Manager Became Suspicious During Video Call
The jury also heard evidence from Aleesha Adams, Chowdhury’s manager at the UK Health Security Agency.
She arranged a video call with him in May 2023 after he had been absent through sickness for around three months.
Adams told the court that Chowdhury coughed frequently and held tissues towards the camera during the meeting.
She alleged he was also wearing white make-up to make himself appear ill and said it began to come away from his forehead as he sweated.
Chowdhury denied wearing make-up and described the allegation as a smear.
Adams later discovered that he had joined the meeting using a Defra email address.
When challenged, Chowdhury attributed this to a technical error.
Adams told the jury she believed he was lying and escalated her concerns within UKHSA.
Chowdhury Said He Feared Losing His Livelihood
Chowdhury denied acting dishonestly and told the jury he had taken multiple jobs because previous experiences of insecure employment had left him frightened about losing his livelihood.
He said he had been made redundant from a Department for Education job in 2013 and had subsequently been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Chowdhury told the court he had not been thinking clearly when applying for the additional positions because of stress, distress and trauma.
Prosecutor Lucy Organ rejected that explanation and accused him of repeatedly lying to his employers and during his evidence before the jury.
Fraud Detected Through Government Data Checks
Chowdhury remained within the Civil Service until September 2023.
His overlapping employment was eventually detected in 2024 through the government’s National Fraud Initiative, which compares information held across public bodies, including payroll records, to identify potential anomalies and fraud.
The investigation ultimately resulted in the nine charges on which Chowdhury has now been convicted.
