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The lack of prosecution points to a shocking hypocrisy between standards for the wealthy and powerful bankers, and the average worker. David Fleming, UNITE national officer commented in an article on the Daily Mirror that: “It’s an utter disgrace for this wealthy banker to be walking away scot-free and avoiding any criminal investigation. Frontline workers in bank branches are constantly penalised and challenged on their conduct under the harshest of conditions. Why is it one rule for the rich bankers and another for ordinary staff?”

JC Flowers and the City of London police department each blamed each other for a lack of motivation to prosecute, adding that each would be willing to cooperate if the other party showed an interest. Sinha earned £886,000 a year, with bonuses of up to £1.3 million. JC Flowers had called an investigation of his conduct and discovered his fraud, but no criminal prosecutions followed. Sinha was banned from the industry for life, and fined nearly £3 million, one of the largest fines in the history of the Financial Services Authority. If he were to face criminal charges, he could face four to seven years in prison under the Fraud Act.

Labour MP Teresa Pearce remarked on the double standard in the Daily Mirror: “This is another example of the banks thinking they operate in what they believe is their own moral code which is different from the one everybody else has to live by. It’s inexcusable, it’s a good job he didn’t steal this money during a riot; he’d be in prison for the rest of his life.”

A 20 year old IKEA employee last year faced nine months in prison for allowing friends to steal £10,000 of goods, while Sinha faces no criminal charges for £1.4 million.