Credibility is fast slipping from the International Criminal Court (ICC) as the world watches the sexual scandal involving its prosecutor Karim Khan unfold.

The tribunal recently resorted to a shotgun approach in its investigation into the war on drug deaths under former President Rodrigo Duterte by opening a portal for anybody to lodge a complaint.

It is indeed ridiculous to expect an impartial investigation, as only Duterte’s detractors are expected to use the online platform.

The ICC is in a rush to collect brownie points through its recent actions, including arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Khan has increasingly been besieged by demands from international rights groups for him to either step down or take a leave while investigations into the serious allegations from a subordinate regarding misconduct are ongoing.

Yet, he is hanging tough and will stay as prosecutor while a UN-led body investigates.

The UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), which is leading the inquiry, has started contacting witnesses, a news wire quoted a source with direct knowledge of the probe.

The ICC’s governing body is keen to have the inquiry concluded swiftly to minimize its potential impact on several high-profile cases currently pending before the Hague-based institution.

The accusations against Khan surfaced when two court employees, in whom the alleged victim confided, came forward with the accusation in May, a few weeks before Khan sought arrest warrants against Netanyahu, his then-defense minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders on war crimes charges over the Palestinian terrorist organization’s 7 October 2023 atrocities and the subsequent war in Gaza.

In 2023, the court ordered the arrest of Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, accusing them of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.

African nations, which are the usual targets of the ICC, are now pushing back, saying the allegations against Khan are deeply troubling and undermine the institution’s moral standing.

Critics have long accused the ICC of being a tool for Western powers to exert control over sovereign African nations. Established under the Rome Statute in 2002, the court claims to be independent, but its track record suggests otherwise.

An overwhelming majority of ICC cases have been against African leaders, while Western nations and their allies, despite atrocities in several global conflicts, have been spared from investigation.

The growing sentiment in the African media is that while the court often calls for accountability and justice in other jurisdictions, it fails to address misconduct within its ranks, exposing its hypocrisy.

Thus, the harassment allegations against Khan shake the ICC’s integrity. As an institution ostensibly dedicated to justice, the ICC should hold itself and its leaders to the highest ethical standards.

“These allegations go beyond personal misconduct — they tarnish the court’s reputation and raise questions about its ability to administer impartial justice,” an African commentator said.

The scandal reinforces perceptions of a court riddled with double standards, where powerful figures escape accountability.

Thomas Lubanga Dyilo of the Democratic Republic of Congo became the first individual convicted by the ICC in 2012 for enlisting and using child soldiers in the DRC.

Uhuru Kenyatta, while still Kenya’s deputy prime minister, was charged for his alleged role in post-election violence in 2007 and 2008. However, the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence, leading to accusations of a politically motivated case designed to weaken African leaders.

Then, the ICC issued Omar al-Bashir, the former president of Sudan, with an arrest warrant for genocide and war crimes in Darfur. Despite the warrant, al-Bashir traveled freely to several countries, exposing the ICC’s inability to enforce its rulings effectively.

No US or NATO official has faced prosecution for alleged war crimes in Iraq or Afghanistan, even when credible evidence has been presented.

For the ICC to salvage its credibility, it must address the allegations against its official with transparency and integrity, while Khan should do his part in upholding the integrity of the tribunal. He should step down.

The crisis the ICC is undergoing exposes it as a redundant body, which should be prevented from being an interloper in countries with functioning democratic institutions and a strong judiciary like the Philippines.