// BBC BUSINESS NEWS — FINANZA
Civil servant who juggled five jobs says he was 'surprised' to be charged with fraud
Civil servant Kashim Chowdhury is accused of fraududlently earning more than £284,000 by juggling multiple public sector jobs.
A civil servant accused of fraudulently juggling multiple government jobs says he was ''surprised'' to have been charged with fraud.
Kashim Chowdhury told the jury at Southwark Crown Court he had not been dishonest in failing to tell his employers he had other government jobs.
"At that time I was just on auto pilot, I was like a robot, I was not thinking clearly," he said.
Chowdhury, 55, from east London, is accused of nine counts of fraud. He denies acting dishonestly or intending to make a dishonest gain.
Between 2020 and 2023 Chowdhury had eight overlapping public sector jobs. He was contractually obliged to work full time and was paid a full-time salary by each organisation. He is accused of fraudulently earning more than £284,000.
In March 2023 Chowdhury began working for the Home Office despite being under contract to work full time at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the Department for Business and Trade and the Food Standards Agency.
The court was told he started the Home Office job while on sick leave from three of his other jobs.
Prosecuting barrister Lucy Organ asked him: "If you were really sick for work, how were you able to start your work at the Home Office?"
Chowdhury said: "I did not want this job at the Home Office, I was told there would be adequate support and I could work whatever hours I wanted to work."