Civil servant denies fraud charges over multiple public sector jobs and salaries
Kashim Chowdhury, 55, is on trial accused of fraudulently securing and holding multiple full-time jobs in the civil service and related public bodies by concealing or misrepresenting his employment history. Prosecutors say he did this to receive several salaries at once, and allege the scheme brought him financial gain.
Jurors heard that he 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 roles. At one point, his contracts reportedly totalled 183 working hours a week. A former UK Health Security Agency manager described his work as poor and said a report required five hours of revision; Chowdhury denies nine fraud charges.
- Chowdhury denies nine fraud charges over alleged overlapping public sector jobs.
- He reportedly earned nearly £350,000 from eight employers in three years.
- His contracts allegedly totalled 183 hours a week at one point.
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Civil servants work for government departments, while public bodies carry out specific public services. Full-time jobs usually have set hours and responsibilities, and employment records help organisations check whether applicants can meet those commitments.
Kashim Chowdhury is accused of obtaining or keeping jobs with several public sector employers by hiding or misrepresenting his work history. Prosecutors allege that this enabled him to receive more than one salary at a time; he denies the fraud charges.
The case concerns how public employers check staff backgrounds and working arrangements, and whether an employee can carry out several full-time roles as claimed. The allegations are being considered by a jury, which must decide whether they are proved.
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The case for
If the prosecution’s allegations are proved, concealing overlapping full-time roles to obtain several public salaries would amount to deliberate deception and an unfair use of public funds. The reported scale of the pay and working hours could also raise legitimate questions about whether the employers were misled and whether the work was properly performed.
The case against
Chowdhury denies the charges, and the allegations remain to be tested at trial; holding multiple roles or earning substantial pay does not by itself establish fraud. A fair assessment depends on evidence that he knowingly misrepresented or concealed information, intended to deceive, and thereby obtained money unlawfully, rather than on one manager’s criticism of his work.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Pictured: The ‘fraudster’ civil servant who ‘earned £280,000 juggling FIVE government jobs at the same time’”.