In Britain, the official got a job in five public positions at the same time

In the UK, 56-year-old civil servant Kashim Chowdhury was found guilty of nine counts of fraud - he simultaneously held several full-time public positions, hiding it from employers. In total, he fraudulently received more than £ 284,000 of budget funds, according to the BBC.

From 2020 to 2023, Chowdhury held eight public sector positions, with five simultaneously in the spring of 2023.

The jury unanimously reached a guilty verdict after seven hours of deliberation. His employers included the Ministry of Environment, Food and Agriculture, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Health Safety Agency, the Food Standards Agency and the Interior Ministry.

During the peak period, the total duration of his working week under contracts reached 183 hours - more than 168 hours in seven days. Chowdhury worked completely remotely: he was allowed to take care of his sick mother. During employment, he provided false information about his employment, and then hid from employers work in other departments.

In court, the man explained his actions post-traumatic stress disorder and fear of losing his livelihood. According to him, he told employers that he was caring for his seriously ill mother, but continued to take new contracts.

Particular attention in court attracted the incident on a video call with the head, when the official tried to simulate the disease using white makeup. "He was sweating, his makeup was washing off, so he became darker from the bottom and around his neck," his boss said.

The prosecutor’s office called the incident “systematic and deliberate dishonesty”, and the Ministry of Natural Resources said that they would seek the return of the funds paid. The judge warned Chowdhury faces a "very severe prison sentence" and denied him bail.