Civil servant who juggled five government jobs admits it was 'impossible' to work his contracted 183 hours a week

From the Newshound archive · first published 21 October 2026 · last updated 24 October 2026.

Kashim Chowdhury, 55, from east London, faces nine counts of fraud at Southwark Crown Court. The prosecution alleges he dishonestly collected more than £284,000 by holding eight overlapping public sector jobs between 2020 and 2023 — despite a week containing only 168 hours. He told jurors his managers had informally agreed to output-based working by text message, but the phones that would have carried those exchanges have since disappeared.

He took up a Home Office role while signed off sick from three other positions.

Chowdhury told jurors: 'I was just on auto pilot, I was like a robot.'