Imbert: No pre-action letter yet from Maha Sabha

FINANCE Minister Colm Imbert said he has not yet received a pre-action protocol letter from acting general secretary of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Vijay Maharaj.

Maharaj, son of the late Satnarayan Maharaj, recently threatened to take the State to court over the demonetisation of the $100 note in favour of new polymer notes. He took issue with the period given to exchange paper bills for polymer ones.

The Central Bank has said after December 31, the $100 paper bills in circulation will not be legal tender.

In a pre-action protocol letter sent to the Attorney General on Wednesday, attorneys for Maharaj said the oppressive and disproportionate way the demonetisation exercise is being undertaken infringes the rights of citizens to their enjoyment of property.

Imbert, speaking Thursday during the post-Cabinet media conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's, said the letter was sent to the AG. It said Maharaj's attorneys intended within 48 hours to serve letters on the Finance Minister and the Governor of the Central Bank.

Imbert said this type of change has been tested in many jurisdictions and the State will get the best legal advice possible to ensure the security initiative continued. National Security Minister Stuart Young said in rolling out the process,Government sought and obtained legal advice from an English Queen's Counsel and one of the leading junior counsel in public law.

"So this wasn't something that we woke up with and just went and amended the legislation. So we had already looked at those issues."