ICC probes two staff members over Ocampo links

The world's top criminal court is probing two staff members after media reports implicating them in dealings involving the tribunal's former prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo.

In a statement issued on Thursday the ICC's current chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said she has referred media reports about the staff members' "impropriety" to the body's Independent Oversight Mechanism (IOM).

Set up this year, the body looks into allegations of misconduct or fraud among the court's employees.

"I have reported the allegations implicating two members of my staff to the IOM," Bensouda said in the statement.

"The IOM has determined that the matter will proceed to a full investigation," she said.

The probe comes after media reports surfaced "making allegations against the former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Mr Luis Moreno-Ocampo," the ICC said, without elaborating.

"Specific allegations" were also made against two staff members, claiming improper involvement with Ocampo's dealings after he had left the court.

The staff members have publicly denied the allegations and Ocampo declined to comment.

"As the matter unfolds and the allegations are fairly and properly scrutinised, speculation should not be entertained," Bensouda warned.

She also denied her office had any dealings with Ocampo, whom she replaced as chief prosecutor in 2012.

Set up in 2002, the ICC is the world's only permanent, independent tribunal that deals with the worst crimes including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

source: AFP