UK court finds official guilty of fraud for concealing five jobs

Guilty verdict for systematic concealment of employment

A court in the United Kingdom has found 56-year-old civil servant Kashim Chowdhury guilty of nine counts of fraud. According to the BBC, the man received over £284,000 in public funds while secretly combining several full-time government positions.

183-hour working week

Between 2020 and 2023, Chowdhury held eight positions in the public sector. The peak workload was recorded in spring 2023, when he was simultaneously working five jobs. His employers included the Home Office, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as well as the Health Security Agency and the Food Standards Agency.

The total duration of his working week reached 183 hours, exceeding seven days of continuous work.

Feigning illness and providing false information

Chowdhury worked entirely remotely, citing the need to care for his seriously ill mother. During recruitment, he provided false information about his employment status and subsequently concealed from each employer the fact that he was working for other departments.

The court paid particular attention to an incident during a video call with his manager, where Chowdhury attempted to feign illness using white makeup.

“He was sweating, the makeup seemed to be rubbing off, so it became darker at the bottom and on his neck,” his female boss said.

Jury verdict and sentencing threat

In court, Chowdhury explained his actions by citing post-traumatic stress disorder and fear of losing his livelihood. He stated that he had informed his employers about caring for his mother but continued to sign new contracts.

After seven hours of deliberation, the jury unanimously returned a guilty verdict. The prosecution characterised the actions as “systematic and deliberate dishonesty.” The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs stated its intention to seek the return of the funds paid. The judge warned that Chowdhury faced a “very severe prison sentence” and refused him bail.