UK civil servant allegedly held five full-time jobs simultaneously. (Photo: Wikipedia)
A UK civil servant accused of earning £349,378 across eight government jobs allegedly attended virtual meetings with his camera switched off, citing technical problems, a court has heard. Kashim Chowdhury, 55, is accused of lying to secure positions across several government departments and public bodies, including the Food Standards Agency, the Home Office and the Department for Business and Trade, according to a report by Personnel Today.
On one occasion, he is said to have appeared in an online meeting with white make-up smeared across his face, jurors were told. “He was pretty close to needing them,” he said. The manager said he had to monitor Chowdhury’s work “much more than I would expect to do for someone of his grade”. McCartney also told the court that he had disagreed with the decision to make Chowdhury a permanent employee. “I wasn’t in agreement with it but I was told that it was something that would have to happen,” he said. McCartney said Chowdhury regularly attended virtual meetings with his camera switched off. He told the court that he had asked him to resolve the issue, as he considered it important for team members to have their cameras on during meetings.
He denies nine counts of fraud. When his employers reportedly began to grow suspicious, Chowdhury allegedly claimed he was unwell. He explained that, under the department’s policy, employees on fixed-term contracts could be made permanent if they were not subject to performance management measures.