Civil servant held five jobs simultaneously

Kashim Chowdhury, a civil servant, has been convicted of defrauding taxpayers of nearly £285,000 while secretly maintaining five simultaneous jobs. A jury reached the verdict following a seven-hour deliberation, concluding that his actions were driven by personal financial gain.

The case has highlighted the growing trend of 'polygamous working', where employees secretly juggle multiple roles, a practice exacerbated by the increase in remote working. According to the government's National Fraud Initiative, a recent report identified 23 such instances in London, resulting in £500,000 of salary overpayments within a few months.

Beyond his criminal conviction, Chowdhury is engaged in a separate legal battle with his three siblings. They allege he coerced their mother into transferring half of her £2.1m property to him shortly before her death, an accusation he denies.

During his criminal trial, Chowdhury attributed his deceptive behaviour to trauma, though the jury rejected his claims. He is now expected to receive a substantial custodial sentence for his crimes.

A spokesperson for Defra stated: "Kashim Chowdhury abused the trust placed in him as a public servant and defrauded taxpayers out of almost £285,000. He will now rightly face the consequences for his actions." The department confirmed it intends to pursue all legal channels to recover the stolen funds.

The spokesperson added: "This conviction is the result of a thorough and painstaking investigation led by the Defra Counter Fraud and Investigations team. It sends a clear message that fraud against the public purse will not be tolerated and those responsible will be held to account."

Broader concerns regarding internal management have also emerged, with a survey of 1,700 civil servants by the think tank Re:State indicating that 76% of staff feel the organisation fails to address underperformance effectively. An anonymous former senior civil servant suggested that the service is culturally resistant to performance management, noting: "Whitehall's known for ages it has to be less risk averse. Shrinking the Civil Service and the adoption of artificial intelligence technology make that more vital."

The former official further remarked: "But don't underestimate the fear factor: fear of drawn-out grievances and fear of being accused of wasting taxpayers' money if the Civil Service was to do what big private sector firms do, which is cut to get rid of poor performers by offering some money and a settlement agreement."