A civil servant accused of pocketing more than £280,000 by working five government jobs at the same time was made a permanent employee despite concerns over his poor performance, a court heard.

Kashim Chowdhury, 55, allegedly juggled a string of taxpayer-funded roles while repeatedly lying to his employers, with one manager claiming he had to be told what to do and was unable to work independently.

But despite concerns about his work rate, bosses decided he did not need to be placed on formal performance measures and he was subsequently made a permanent member of staff, jurors were told.

The court also heard how Chowdhury allegedly smeared white make-up over his face to appear unwell during an online meeting after suspicions were raised about his work.

At the height of the alleged fraud, he was employed in five full-time government roles simultaneously, leaving him contracted to work an astonishing 183 hours a week - 15 hours more than there are in an entire seven-day week.

Southwark Crown Court heard that Chowdhury secured eight different jobs between February 2020 and September 2023, earning a total of £349,378 before the alleged fraud was uncovered.

He is accused of dishonestly receiving £284,613 while working across government departments including the Food Standards Agency, the Home Office and the Department for Business and Trade.

His line manager at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Dan McCartney, told jurors he believed Chowdhury's poor work rate warranted a meeting about his performance.

But despite his concerns, Chowdhury was made a permanent member of staff under a policy applying to employees on fixed-term contracts who were not subject to formal performance measures.

His line manager at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Dan McCartney, said that he felt Chowdhury's poor work rate merited a meeting about his performance.

Mr McCartney told the court: 'It is policy to make people with fixed term contracts permanent if they weren't in performance measures.

'I wasn't in agreement with it but I was told that it was something that would have to happen.'

Asked by prosecutor Lucy Organ whether Chowdhury's work had ever improved, Mr McCartney replied: 'No.'

He said he had been forced to monitor the civil servant's output 'much more than I would expect to do for someone of his grade'.

Mr McCartney added: 'I had to tell him what to do. I would have expected him to be self-sufficient.'

The witness said he did not agree with a decision to make Chowdhury a permanent member of staff.

He said that Chowdhury would attend virtual meetings with his computer camera off and that he told him to get it fixed.

'It is important, I think, if you are running a team, that people are present and have their camera on.

'I asked him to switch it on. He said he had IT problems with his laptop and I asked him to resolve it so that the camera worked.

'It took quite a long time. I had to really push him. I told him that he could take time out to ensure that this thing is resolved.

'That took quite a few months to make it happen, but it did happen.'

Ms Organ asked: 'Did he ever tell you he had any other employment other than with Defra?' Mr McCartney replied: 'No.'

At his £52,000-a-year job at Defra, Chowdhury was described as 'ineffective' but told his employers he was struggling because his mother was diagnosed with cancer.

Chowdhury, of Whitechapel in east London, denies nine counts of fraud. 

The trial continues.

• READ MORE: Civil servant used remote working to fraudulently hold down FIVE government jobs at the same time, court told