Central Bank of Belize reports High Court upholds Registrar’s termination of Saint Francis Xavier Credit Union general manager

The Central Bank of Belize announced that the High Court, in a decision delivered on 19 February 2026, dismissed a claim against the Registrar of Credit Unions challenging the termination of Mr. Rafael Dominguez as General Manager of Saint Francis Xavier Credit Union and upheld the Registrar’s decision as lawful and procedurally fair. Following examinations of SFXCU that identified serious administrative and operational deficiencies posing risks to the credit union’s stability, an Administrator, Mr. Marlowe Neal, was appointed to manage its affairs. Mr. Dominguez was suspended on 10 March 2023 and, on 13 May 2024, the Governor acting as Registrar directed the Administrator to terminate his appointment. Proceedings were initiated on 19 September 2024, with Mr. Dominguez alleging the decision was disproportionate, unlawful, and procedurally improper, and claiming severance and other contractual termination benefits exceeding BZ$800,000. The High Court confirmed the Registrar’s statutory authority under Section 61(6)(d) of the Credit Unions Act to remove a general manager, found that procedural fairness was afforded, dismissed disproportionality as a ground of challenge in the circumstances, and rejected most claims for termination benefits, including amounts linked to the unexpired portion of the employment contract from May 2024 to July 2027. On severance, the High Court found an entitlement under the SFXCU manual but rejected the claimant’s calculation and ordered the Administrator to calculate the appropriate sum.