THE HAGUE: The International Criminal Court`s chief prosecutor has stepped aside pending the conclusion of a probe into a misconduct allegation against him, his office said on Friday, as media reports cite accusations of sexual misconduct.

News of Karim Khan`s leave have plunged the ICC, already under fire from critics and targeted by US sanctions aimed at the prosecutor, into further uncertainty.

The UN Office of Internal Oversight Services announced its investigation in November, with reports saying Khan was accused of sexual misconduct towards a member of his office.

Karim Khan, 55, denies the allegations.

Khan `communicated his decision to take leave until the end` of the UN internal investigation, and his deputy prosecutors will run the office in his absence, his office said in a statement.

The Wall Street Journal reported that an assistant, a woman in her 30s, toldUN officials that Khan touched her in a sexual manner in Dec 2023.

After allegations of misconduct became public, Khan said in October he would cooperate with any probe and denied wrongdoing. `It was with deep sadness that I understood reports of misconduct were to be aired publicly in relation to me,` Khan said.

`There is no truth to suggestions of such misconduct,` he said in a statement.

The British lawyer took up his position with The Hague-based court in June 2021.

Throughout his career from courtrooms in England and Wales, to leading cases before international tribunals he has faced down controversy for his legal work.

Stints included defending Liberia`s former president Charles Taylor against allegations of war crimes in Sierra Leone, Kenya`s President William Ruto in a crimes-against-humanity case at the ICC that was dropped.-AFP