Civil servant jailed for defrauding £284,000 from government

Kashim Chowdhury has been found guilty of nine counts of fraud at Southwark Crown Court. Between 2020 and 2023, Chowdhury held overlapping full-time positions in at least five government departments. He fraudulently earned more than £284,000 in payments during this period. The fraud was detected in 2024 by the National Fraud Initiative, which uses payroll database searches to identify anomalies.

Detection of the fraud

The National Fraud Initiative's routine checks of Civil Service databases, including payroll information, flagged irregularities in 2024. This led to the discovery of Chowdhury's extensive deception. He was employed by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Department for Business and Trade, the Food Standards Agency, and the Home Office, in addition to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Manager's suspicions

Concerns were first raised by Aleesha Adams, Chowdhury's line manager at the UKHSA, in May 2023. During a video call, Chowdhury appeared unwell, claiming to be on sick leave. Adams noted that he seemed to be wearing white make-up to appear paler, a claim Chowdhury denied in court. Later that month, Chowdhury logged into a call using a Defra email address. When challenged, he attributed it to a technical error. Adams told the jury at his trial that she believed he was lying and escalated her concerns.

Despite these suspicions, Chowdhury continued to work multiple government jobs until September 2023, when he left the Civil Service. His defence stated that he had taken on the roles due to past insecure employment and personal stress, including a PTSD diagnosis in 2015. He claimed he had not been thinking clearly when applying for jobs due to stress and panic.

Systemic failures

The case highlights potential weaknesses in the Civil Service's HR systems. According to Hannah Keenan of the Institute for Government, departments make hiring decisions independently without integrated systems, allowing for such duplication to go unnoticed. Chowdhury did not declare his existing civil servant status on new applications, meaning the system did not flag the overlap. He also worked from his east London home, where he was caring for his mother, who had dementia and terminal cancer. He used sick notes from his GP to cover his absences, even as he took on more roles.

Evidence presented during the trial suggested that Chowdhury was not a high-performing employee. Dan McCartney, who managed Chowdhury at Defra, stated that he had to constantly guide him. Chowdhury also kept his camera off during video calls for four months, citing technical issues. Despite this, he was given a permanent role at Defra, where he remained for two years.

Consequences and recovery

A Defra spokesperson stated that Chowdhury abused the trust placed in him and defrauded taxpayers. The conviction is the result of a thorough investigation, and the department will pursue all available avenues to recover the proceeds of his offending. The judge indicated that Chowdhury would face a substantial custodial sentence.

Chowdhury, aged 56, was found guilty on Monday and was told he would face a significant prison sentence. The judge noted that he appeared in court alone, without family or friends.