Story perspectives

Civil servant on trial for £350,000 fraud over jobs

By Drooid · Oct 22, 2026, 10:12 PM UTC · How we work

Center

White makeup disguise

Kashim Chowdhury, 55-year-old civil servant, is on trial at Southwark Crown Court for nine counts of fraud involving multiple public-sector jobs.
A Health Security Agency manager testified that Chowdhury appeared on a video call wearing white makeup to appear Asian.
Chowdhury said stress, PTSD drove him and that several managers knew of his other jobs.
His jobs were described as a “lifeline” while caring for his elderly mother.

Left

Pandemic Job Overlap

Kashim Chowdhury, a 55-year-old civil servant, is on trial at Southwark Crown Court on nine fraud counts involving multiple public-sector jobs.
Prosecutors say he used the pandemic’s work-from-home shift to hide overlapping full-time roles, revealing serious oversight failures in the public sector.
He earned almost £350,000 from eight government employers between February 2020 and September 2023.
The contract required 183 hours per week, exceeding the total hours in a week.

Blindspot

Chowdhury said several managers were aware of his other public-sector positions, according to his testimony to the jury.
A Health Security Agency manager testified that Chowdhury appeared on a video call wearing white makeup to look Asian.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Center-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Left-leaning coverage.

1 of 3

White makeup disguise

Kashim Chowdhury, 55-year-old civil servant, is on trial at Southwark Crown Court for nine counts of fraud involving multiple public-sector jobs.
A Health Security Agency manager testified that Chowdhury appeared on a video call wearing white makeup to appear Asian.
Chowdhury said stress, PTSD drove him and that several managers knew of his other jobs.
His jobs were described as a “lifeline” while caring for his elderly mother.

1 / 3