A civil servant accused of simultaneously holding five full-time public sector jobs and receiving more than £280,000 in pay has told a court that stress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) contributed to his failure to disclose multiple employments. Kashim Chowdhury, 55, appeared at Southwark Crown Court where he faces nine counts of fraud, all of which he denies.

Chowdhury acknowledged providing inaccurate information about his employment but denied any deliberate intent to defraud his employers. He said his PTSD, diagnosed in 2015, resurfaced during his overlapping roles with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Tower Hamlets council between 2020 and 2023. He also cited personal difficulties, including the deteriorating health of his mother, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2022, as exacerbating his condition.

At the peak of the alleged fraud, Chowdhury was reportedly contracted to work 183 hours weekly across various government departments, including the Home Office, the Department for Business and Trade, the UK Health Security Agency, the Food Standards Agency, Defra, and Tower Hamlets council. His contracts averaged about 36 hours per week for each position, and he earned up to £11,000 in a single month.

Chowdhury claimed some of his managers were aware he held multiple roles, naming individuals such as Fiona Charlesworth at Defra. He described informal communications with a Tower Hamlets manager regarding his additional Defra work and characterized his failure to disclose a short-term contract with the East London NHS Foundation Trust as an oversight. He denied the prosecution's assertion that he concealed his other employment when applying for new roles and rejected criticisms of his performance, including claims that he failed to complete work on time.

The defence also highlighted Chowdhury’s diagnosis of PTSD and past struggles with job insecurity, noting his history of temporary and short-term roles and his view of work as a coping mechanism during periods of depression. He addressed allegations of bullying by a Defra manager, Dan McCartney, and said he had made a formal complaint against him.

In contrast, some managers who gave evidence described Chowdhury’s performance as inadequate. One former manager from the Department for Business and Trade stated that Chowdhury often completed basic tasks late or below expected standards. The prosecution alleges Chowdhury deliberately concealed his multiple jobs and exploited remote work arrangements to collect payments for hours he could not feasibly have worked.

During the trial, it was revealed that several phones and memory sticks seized as part of the investigation had gone missing. Chowdhury said these devices contained messages from colleagues and feedback, which he described as positive.

The case remains ongoing as the jury continues to consider the evidence.