Civil servant faked illness with make-up to juggle five jobs, court hears

A civil servant is facing accusations of fraud after reportedly earning nearly £350,000 by simultaneously holding five full-time positions within the public sector. Kashim Chowdhury is alleged to have managed these overlapping roles between February 2020 and September 2023, while relying on sick notes and working from home to juggle the demanding workload.

According to details presented at Southwark Crown Court, Chowdhury purportedly secured the roles by making false claims about his employment status during the application processes. Throughout the three-year period, he worked for 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—all concurrently.

A notable incident during a 2023 video call with his manager at the Health Security Agency, Aleesha Adams, was highlighted during the trial. Ms. Adams testified that Chowdhury appeared to be wearing white make-up to simulate illness, which began peeling off his forehead during their conversation, revealing his actual skin. At that time, Chowdhury was reportedly being paid for five full-time roles. Prosecutor Lucy Organ emphasized this episode as evidence of deceit, stating, “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.”

The prosecution also argued that Chowdhury took advantage of the remote working arrangements introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic. He informed employers that he was working from home to care for an unwell mother, while his ability to manage the combined workload eventually deteriorated. The court heard that although he was signed off work at certain positions for “mixed anxiety and a depressive disorder,” he did not submit his sick notes to all his employers. The alleged fraudulent activity came to light following a National Fraud Initiative alert, prompting further investigation. The trial is ongoing, with Chowdhury denying all charges of fraud and claims of dishonest intent

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