Power of Minister on death of depositor

(1) When the deposit to the credit of a depositor at the time of his death does not exceed the sum of one hundred dollars, and probate of his will or letters of administration to his estate are not produced within such time as the Minister thinks reasonable, the Minister may, if he thinks fit, without requiring production of the probate of the will or letters of administration to the estate of the deceased pay out the deposit or any part thereof, so far as it is not disposed of by nomination, to any one or more of the following persons, namely– (a) a creditor of the deceased; (b) the widow or widower of the deceased; (c) a person entitled to the whole or any part of the personal estate of the deceased under the statutes for the distribution of the personal estate of intestates or who would be so entitled but for his illegitimacy or the illegitimacy of some other person; (d) a person entitled to probate of the will or letters of administration to the estate of the (e) a person claiming under a donatio mortis causa; (f) a person who agrees to maintain an infant- child of the deceased; (g) in the case of foreign seamen, the consular authority of any country with whom a treaty has been made relative to the payment of moneys due to such seamen; Savings Bank 21 (h) in the case of foreign subjects other than foreign seamen, the consular authority of the country to which the depositor belongs on such assurance as to the ultimate disposition of the deposit as is satisfactory to the Minister, provided that where the estate of the deceased has devolved to the Crown the Minister may retain the same for the benefit of the revenue of Belize. (2) The Minister shall have regard to the rules of law regulating the distribution of the estates of deceased persons; but he may, nevertheless, when he considers that injustice, hardship, or inconvenience would result from adherence to such rules, order the deposit to be distributed otherwise than in accordance with such rules. (3) Any person aggrieved by the decision of the Minister in the exercise by him of the powers conferred under this rule may, within seven days after being notified of the decision, appeal to the Cabinet, and the Cabinet may make such order as appears to it to be just.