Civil servant admits he 'made mistakes' juggling five government jobs
A British civil servant is on trial for allegedly fraudulently earning over £284,000 by working up to five full-time public sector jobs simultaneously. The defendant admitted to making mistakes due to stress and feeling overwhelmed, but denied any criminal intent or dishonesty.
Why it matters
This case exposes major vulnerabilities and oversight failures within public sector remote work monitoring and employment verification.
Image source, PA Media Image caption, Civil servant Kashim Chowdhury is accused of fraudulently earning more than £284,000 by working multiple full-time public sector jobs
The civil servant accused of fraudulently earning more than £284,000 by juggling multiple public-sector jobs admitted making mistakes but said ''I do not believe there was criminal intent".
Giving evidence at Southwark Crown Court, Kashim Chowdhury told the jury he had made mistakes because he was ''overwhelmed and stressed'' and had felt ''terror and panic'' at the thought of losing his livelihood.
He told the jury he had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2015 and that it had been triggered in 2021.
The 55-year-old, who is from east London, is on trial accused of nine counts of fraud. He denies acting dishonestly or intending to make a dishonest gain.
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