You have to pass a threshold for criminal proceedings to start. HMRC have said that threshold wasn't passed.
It's not true to suggest anyone else would be prosecuted. They usually are not. You really have to willfully try to hide money from HMRC. He didn't hide it, it was all in his groups accounting. It was actually reported on prior to HMRC getting involved as it was public.
That's essentially why he isn't being prosecuted. Not defending zahawi, but HMRC. Now there's a sentence I never thought I would say.
The threshold is too low then. There has to be a point where large-figure tax avoidance done in the wrong way, where tax should be liable, is seen as "more wrong" legally, than say tax evasion of tiny sums.
Anyone else could be prosecuted and would probably have more likelihood of prosecution if they did not have the same influence, or didn't have the means to set up tax avoidance structures offshore.
If it's a ~27m transaction, then the likelihood this isn't exactly small fry, compared to the rest of his finances, it's probably the most major transaction he has in the last however many years. So, this makes it the most important transaction. His accountant should have checked that from the off, multiple times, at senior level, and will have known exactly what they were doing, and there would have been conversations about it, so Zahawi will have been fully aware also (as he will have instructed it). It's not like a £1m turnover company putting through a possibly half-dodgy fuel receipt for £50. Or missing out a grand on a VAT return as they cocked up their spreadsheet.
You don't set up an offshore company (Gibraltar) carelessly, and you're only doing that for one reason, tax avoidance. You don't move personal shares to that company carelessly. You don't throw your weight around to try and shut people up who mention it, unless you've got something to hide. HMRC probably started investigating this years ago, and during his time as chancellor, which is ludicrous. It's only come to light as they knew the game was up. It's like a guy holding his hands up after getting out of the car, after robbing the bank and the 25 mile car chase.
He's also lying when he keeps saying "I got my tax right", by negotiating and accepting the fine, he's accepting he's wrong. What he did wrong, was setting up the offshore company (set up to doge tax) and then moving shares into that which had tax due, and you don't get that wrong on a 27m transaction. It's not careless, not at that level, it's 100% intentional.