// BBC BUSINESS NEWS — FINANZA
'I wasn't thinking straight' says five jobs civil servant
Kashim Chowdhury wears dark sunglasses, a hat, hoody and gloves as he arrives at court. His face is largely obscured.
A civil servant accused of fraudulently juggling multiple public sector jobs has told the court he "wasn't thinking straight" when he allegedly misled future bosses about his employment status.
Kashim Chowdhury said he was "in a panic" when he applied for a job at the Department of Health (DHSC), failing to declare he was already working at the Department for the Environment (Defra).
The prosecution said he already had three full-time jobs at the time, including roles at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and East London NHS Trust.
The 55-year-old, who is from east London, is on trial accused of nine counts of fraud. He denies acting dishonestly or intending to make a dishonest gain.
Chowdhury said he was "in a panic'' because he feared losing his Defra job and was uncertain about his future. He told the jury he was "not paying attention, I was not thinking straight',' when filling out the application.
The prosecution said Chowdhury held five jobs on full-time salaries at the height of the alleged deceit.
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In the spring of 2023, he was employed by the Defra, the UK Health Security Agency, the Food Standards Agency, the Department for Business and Trade and the Home Office.