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The Pan-African Business Forum (PABF) has petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) to suspend its ongoing external investigation into Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan KC, warning that the process, if mishandled, could undermine the Court’s credibility and impartiality.

In a petition delivered by Dr. Ladislas Prosper Agbesi, PABF Chairman, to the President of the Assembly of States Parties, Ambassador Päivi Kaukoranta, in The Hague, the group expressed “profound concerns” about the inquiry into Khan, who is currently on leave. The ICC announced his leave following allegations filed against him late last year — allegations he has not publicly responded to in detail and which remain under investigation. His deputies are currently overseeing the office.

According to PABF, the external process “lacks fairness,” with the group citing what it described as whistle-blower claims suggesting that some members of the ICC Bureau may have been subject to undue influence. In its petition, the forum further alleged that “intense lobbying for succession” had been taking place, pointing in particular to what it called “inappropriate contact” between an unnamed Ugandan diplomat and the complainant. PABF said it has recordings that, in its view, suggest the diplomat had already taken a pre-determined stance against Khan.

“These developments risk undermining not only the integrity of the Court but also wider confidence in multilateral institutions at a time of global instability,” the petition warned.

The Forum called for the immediate suspension of the investigation to allow for independent verification of these concerns. Specifically, it asked that the inquiry examine whether complainants or other individuals connected to the case had direct or indirect contact with members of the ICC Bureau, and whether the Court’s leadership may have been influenced by external lobbying.

PABF also highlighted what it described as issues of “Improper Disclosure, Disparaging External Commentary, Sanctions and Intimidation, and Irregular Process” in the handling of the case, urging that these matters receive urgent attention.

The group stressed its readiness to support the ICC in ensuring fairness, urging swift and decisive action to “restore confidence in this process and safeguard the Court’s integrity.”