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Mon, 09 Nov 2026

Mon, 09 Nov 2026 How a civil servant got away with juggling five jobs for so long

Kashim Chowdhury has been convicted of fraud after pocketing £284,000 of taxpayers' money over three years.
Chowdhury's crimes
* He was employed in five different roles, including as a senior manager at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
* He lied about his employment status to multiple employers, claiming that he worked part-time or remotely
* He took on extra work to earn significant bonuses, but also continued to receive full pay from his primary job Investigation and conviction
* An investigation by Defra's Counter Fraud and Investigations team led to Chowdhury's conviction
* The jury found him guilty of six counts of fraud against the public purse
* He faces a significant custodial sentence as a result of his crimes Background and motivation
* Chowdhury's case has been described as an example of "polygamous working", where individuals hold down multiple jobs secretly
* His motivations for committing the crimes are unclear, but he claimed that he was driven by personal gain
* He also appeared to be motivated by a desire to earn more money to fund his lifestyle Wider implications
* Chowdhury's case has highlighted concerns about the effectiveness of the Civil Service in tackling poor performers and managing employee performance
* A recent survey found that 76% of civil servants believed that the Civil Service did not do a good job of tackling poor performers
* Experts have pointed out that the fear factor can prevent managers from taking action against underperforming employees, as they may be concerned about drawn-out grievances or accusations of wasting taxpayers' money. Other stories The article also mentions other news stories, including:
* The case of Russell Brand, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for violating his restraining order
* The Booker Prize-winning novel "The End of Everything", which tells the story of two people stranded in the Arctic
* A chilling supernatural thriller about two ships stranded in the Arctic.