Civil servant accused of juggling five government jobs at once tells jury he failed to disclose them because of stress

Kashim Chowdhury, 55, from east London, told Southwark Crown Court he felt 'terror and panic' at losing his livelihood. He admitted giving inaccurate information but insisted: 'I do not believe there was criminal intent.' He said he was diagnosed with PTSD in 2015 and that it was triggered again in 2021. He denies nine counts of fraud.

At peak, his contracts allegedly added up to 183 hours a week — exceeding the number of hours a week actually contains.

He claims managers at Defra, Tower Hamlets council and DHSC knew about his other jobs.

He allegedly wore white make-up to convince bosses he was ill.