Ban was named as the first independent chair of the Ethics Commission at the IOC Session in Lima in September 2017.

The IOC Ethics Commission chair is one of five "independent" members of the body, who are said to be "prominent personalities known for their independence of spirit, their competency and their international reputation".

These five people must not be members, Honorary members nor former IOC members.

While Ban is neither of these three, his independence from the IOC has been questioned after it emerged IOC director general Christophe De Kepper serves on the Board of the Ban Ki-Moon Centre for Global Citizens.

The non-profit organisation in Vienna is co-chaired by Ban and Dr. Heinz Fischer, the former President of Austria.

Bach defended the independence of the IOC Ethics Commission, stating that De Kepper was not involved in any way.

He also suggested that Ban had proved his independence by recusing himself from the ongoing ethics case involving Kuwait’s Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah due to a "risk of perception of conflict of interest".

This is due to the Ban Ki-moon Centre being supported by the Government of Kuwait, while support also comes from Austria.

"It is a foundation that is there by Ban Ki-Moon for international peace and education, which he shares with the former chancellor of Austria," Bach said here today.

"There is no personal interest of Ban Ki-Moon in this, it is kind of a charity or NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation).

"It is not related to any office activities in the IOC Ethics Commission.

"Mr De Kepper is not a member of the Ethics Commission and none of the other members of the Ethics Commission is in any way involved.

"How far he goes in respect of his independence and potential conflict of interest, he has clearly demonstrated by not taking part in the decision concerning Sheikh Ahmad.

"Even if there is no personal interest of him being concerned.

"It is not him who has received any personal support from the Kuwaiti Government, it is a foundation which he has founded with other and sits on the Board."

The IOC have previously had to fend off criticisms of the independence of the Ethics Commission.

Last year, IOC ethics and compliance officer Päquerette Girard Zappelli rebuffed assertions that Ban - as someone who has worked closely with Bach and his predecessor Jacques Rogge while in his UN role - was not really "independent" from the IOC.

Boosting the independence of the IOC Ethics Commission was among one of 33 recommendations for reforms were put forward following a review conducted by the Lausanne-based business school, the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), in July 2017.

Ideas of granting more "independence" to the IOC Ethics Commission to investigate cases of non-compliance as well as stronger sanctions for non-compliance in cases of conflict of interest were put forward.

The recommendations and the appointment of Ban as the independent Ethics Commission chair were aimed at improving the image of the IOC following accusations of vote-buying in the Olympic Games bidding process and other corruption allegations against senior members.

Ethics Commission members include four other independent members including the former President of the Supreme Justice in The Netherlands, Geert Corstens, and China's International Court of Justice representative Xue Hanqin.

Patricia O'Brien, Ireland's former Ambassador to France, and former Swiss Confederation President Samuel Schmid are also independent members.

United States’ Angela Ruggiero initially served on the Commission as one of its four IOC members, but her membership ceased in February when her term on the Athletes' Commission concluded.

Belgium's Pierre-Olivier Beckers, Slovakia's Danka Bartekova and Papua New Guinea's Auvita Rapilla are the current IOC members on the Commission.