The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) was suspended on Monday, after the court’s oversight board referred Karim Khan to disciplinary proceedings.
In a scandal that has lasted more than two years, Khan is facing allegations of immorality with a female assistant. He has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing.
The final decision on the fate of the British lawyer now rests with the Parliament of Member States, the governing body of the ICC, which will hold a special session to decide whether Khan he can remain in his job at the international court.
The Office of the Parliamentary Assembly of Member States – the main committee of the judicial management body – said in a statement on Monday that it based its assessment on “the report of the investigation carried out by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), primary evidence, the advice of the emergency Panel of judicial experts, and written submissions”.
The UN investigation found evidence that Khan had “sexual relations with (an aide) in his office, in his private residence, and while on duty”, according to a copy of his report seen by the Associated Press.
However, a three-judge panel selected by the executive committee to conduct a legal evaluation of the results found that the investigation was not sufficiently reliable.
