Man accused of holding five government jobs while earning £350,000
Kashim Chowdhury is accused of concealing multiple full-time jobs across government departments and public bodies, earning salaries from employers who did not know about his other roles. Prosecutors say he secured the jobs through false statements about his employment history between 2020 and 2023, in a case that raises questions about checks on publicly funded employment during the shift to remote working.
The court heard that Chowdhury, 55, worked for as many as five departments at once and was contracted for 183 hours a week. He allegedly earned nearly £350,000 from eight employers over three years, including more than £280,000 in gross pay during months when he held multiple full-time posts. The employers included the Home Office, Defra, the Department of Health and Social Care, Tower Hamlets council and the East London NHS Trust; he denies five fraud charges.
- Chowdhury denies five fraud charges over multiple jobs.
- He allegedly held five government posts at once.
- Prosecutors say he earned nearly £350,000 in three years.
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Government departments, councils and public bodies employ staff to deliver services, and their salaries are paid from public funds. Many roles moved to remote working during the pandemic, making it harder for employers to see whether staff were also working elsewhere.
The case concerns Kashim Chowdhury, who is accused of hiding other jobs from the organisations that employed him. Those organisations include central government departments, Tower Hamlets council and an NHS trust. He denies the fraud charges.
The allegations raise questions about how public employers check applicants’ work histories and whether staff hold other jobs. The case will be decided by the court.
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The case for
If prosecutors prove that Chowdhury knowingly concealed overlapping full-time roles and misled employers, the case would support stronger checks on publicly funded hiring and working arrangements. Taxpayers and public bodies have a legitimate interest in ensuring salaries are paid for work that can actually be performed and in protecting trust in remote working.
The case against
The allegations remain unproven, and multiple roles or an implausibly high contracted workload do not by themselves establish fraud; Chowdhury denies the charges. Any response should respect the presumption of innocence and avoid treating this individual case as proof that remote work or public-sector hiring generally needs more intrusive oversight.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Civil servant fraudulently held down FIVE government jobs at the same time, court told”.