According to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on October 14, a British civil servant was accused of earning nearly £350,000 by working full-time in five public sector positions. He managed to cope with his heavy workload by using sick leaves and working from home.
It is reported that Kashim Chowdhury was accused of holding multiple government positions between February 2020 and September 2023, with an total income of £350,000. The 55-year-old defendant from the East End of London is currently on trial for nine counts of fraud, and he denies the charges. He denies having any ‘unethical behavior’ or intent to gain profits through dishonest means.
The jury of the Nanhua Criminal Court learned that he applied white makeup during a video call with his superior, trying to make himself look sickly, but the makeup began to peel off from his skin.
According to reports, Jodori made ‘false statements’ regarding his employment status when applying for the positions, thereby obtaining these jobs. Over a period of more than three years, he served in overlapping roles at the Tooting and Haumont Council in East London; the Department of Communities and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra); the UK Health Security Agency; and the Department of Health and Social Security.
In 2023, his supervisor at the Health Safety Bureau, Arlis Adams, arranged a video call with him to discuss his sick leave issues.
Ms. Adams said that Jodori applied makeup on his face to appear unwell—and during the meeting, the makeup on his forehead began to fall off, revealing his actual skin. It is said that at the time of the call, he was simultaneously receiving salaries for five full-time jobs.
The prosecution attorney, Lucy Organ, said, “There is no doubt that the defendant put on makeup for this video conference, trying to pretend to be sick to his direct manager. This ridiculous incident shows that the defendant was willing to resort to any means to carry out his scam.”
The prosecutor stated that Jodori “utilized” the home office culture that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. The court learned that Jodori told his employer that he had to work from home in order to take care of his “sick” mother.
But Ms. Ogen said that the accumulated workload due to his multiple roles eventually became 'unmanageable', leading to a decline in his work performance.
The court heard that he was granted sick leave due to ‘mixed anxiety and depressive disorders’, and was allowed to take time off from some of his work duties. However, he did not submit all of his sick leave forms to all his employers.
The jury also learned that this alleged fraud case was exposed only after the National Anti-Fraud Initiative agency alerted the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
