Organ asked him: “Wasn’t that a bit much for you?”
“I was house bound, I was looking after my mum,” he said.
The prosecution alleges Chowdhury managed to keep his overlapping jobs secret because he worked entirely remotely. He told his employers he was the sole carer for his elderly mother and the prosecution alleges he “exploited this opportunity”.
His line manager at the UKHSA, Aleesha Adams, organised a video call with him in May 2023 to discuss his sick leave.
She previously told the court she was surprised when he logged on wearing white make-up because his name led her to expect to see an Asian man with darker skin.
She told the court that as the meeting went on the make-up started coming off his forehead. ”He was sweating, it was like rubbing off so it was darker underneath and darker on the neck.”
But Chowdhury denied having worn make-up at the meeting
”That’s a smear, I’ve never worn make-up in my life. At that particular time, I was suffering from anxiety and depression. I had already submitted my sick note, there was no need to put on make-up.”
The trial continues.
