[UK] Civil servant faked illness with makeup on Teams call during five-job juggle

In the UK, a civil servant is in court this week, accused of earning almost £350,000 by juggling five full-time government jobs, BBC News reports.

Kashim Chowdhury (55) allegedly held the multiple public sector roles and managed their workloads by relying on sick notes and working from home. Between February 2020 and September 2023, he earned £350,000 overall.

During the trial, at Southwark Crown Court, the jury reportedly heard that Mr Chowdhury wore white makeup during a Teams call with his boss to make him look ill. However, the product started to peel off his skin.

Mr Chowdhury is accused of nine counts of fraud, which he denies. He denies acting dishonestly or intending to make dishonest gain.

The jury was told that Mr Chowdhury gained the roles by making ''false representations'' about his employment status when applying. 

Over three years, he reportedly held overlapping jobs at Tower Hamlets Council in East London, the Home Office, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the UK Health Security Agency and the Department of Health and Social Care.

The jury heard that in 2023 Aleesha Adams, Mr Chowdhury’s manager at the Health Security Agency, organised a video call with him to discuss his sick leave. 

She claims that he wore makeup on his face to appear ill, but that during the meeting the makeup started to split on his forehead, revealing his actual skin underneath. 

At the time of that call, he is alleged to have been receiving pay for five full-time jobs.

Lucy Organ, for the prosecution, told the court, "There could be no doubt about it, the defendant had applied makeup to his face for this Teams meeting to try and pretend to his line manager that he was unwell.

"This almost laughable incident demonstrates, we say, quite how far the defendant was willing to go in his deceit."

Prosecutors reportedly contend that Mr Chowdhury "exploited" the work from home culture that began during the pandemic. The court was informed that Chowdhury told his employers that he had to work from home to care for his "unwell" mother.

The prosecutor, Ms Organ, said his workload eventually became "too much to cope with" and his performance suffered.

The court heard that he was signed off work from some jobs due to "mixed anxiety and a depressive disorder", but he did not hand his sick note to all his employers.

Jurors were reportedly told that the alleged fraud had come to light after the National Fraud Initiative alerted Defra.

Source: BBC News

(Quotes via original reporting)

In the UK, a civil servant is in court this week, accused of earning almost £350,000 by juggling five full-time government jobs, BBC News reports.

Kashim Chowdhury (55) allegedly held the multiple public sector roles and managed their workloads by relying on sick notes and working from home. Between February 2020 and September 2023, he earned £350,000 overall.

During the trial, at Southwark Crown Court, the jury reportedly heard that Mr Chowdhury wore white makeup during a Teams call with his boss to make him look ill. However, the product started to peel off his skin.

Mr Chowdhury is accused of nine counts of fraud, which he denies. He denies acting dishonestly or intending to make dishonest gain.

The jury was told that Mr Chowdhury gained the roles by making ''false representations'' about his employment status when applying. 

Over three years, he reportedly held overlapping jobs at Tower Hamlets Council in East London, the Home Office, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the UK Health Security Agency and the Department of Health and Social Care.

The jury heard that in 2023 Aleesha Adams, Mr Chowdhury’s manager at the Health Security Agency, organised a video call with him to discuss his sick leave. 

She claims that he wore makeup on his face to appear ill, but that during the meeting the makeup started to split on his forehead, revealing his actual skin underneath. 

At the time of that call, he is alleged to have been receiving pay for five full-time jobs.

Lucy Organ, for the prosecution, told the court, "There could be no doubt about it, the defendant had applied makeup to his face for this Teams meeting to try and pretend to his line manager that he was unwell.

"This almost laughable incident demonstrates, we say, quite how far the defendant was willing to go in his deceit."

Prosecutors reportedly contend that Mr Chowdhury "exploited" the work from home culture that began during the pandemic. The court was informed that Chowdhury told his employers that he had to work from home to care for his "unwell" mother.

The prosecutor, Ms Organ, said his workload eventually became "too much to cope with" and his performance suffered.

The court heard that he was signed off work from some jobs due to "mixed anxiety and a depressive disorder", but he did not hand his sick note to all his employers.

Jurors were reportedly told that the alleged fraud had come to light after the National Fraud Initiative alerted Defra.

Source: BBC News

(Quotes via original reporting)