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

A civil servant is accused of earning almost £350,000 by juggling five full-time public sector roles - using sick notes and working from home to cope with the workload. Kashim Chowdhury allegedly held multiple government jobs between February 2020 and September 2023, earning £350,000 overall. The jury at Southwark Crown Court has been told he wore white make-up during a video call with his boss to try to look ill, but the make-up began peeling off his skin. Chowdury, a 55-year-old from east London, is on trial accused of nine counts of fraud, which he denies. He denies acting dishonestly or intending to make a dishonest gain.