Mr. Samuel Appiah Darko
The Director, Strategy, Research & Communication Division
Samuel Appiah Darko is the Director of the Strategy, Research and Communication Division, which is equivalent in rank to Commissioner of Police. He assumed office on 3 May 2022.
He is a governance, anti-corruption, legal, and strategic communication professional with over 20 years of multidisciplinary experience spanning public sector leadership, journalism, legal practice, intelligence analysis, academia, and institutional development.
At the Office of the Special Prosecutor, he supports the institution’s mandate to strengthen accountability, transparency, and public confidence in Ghana’s anti-corruption framework through strategic planning, research, communication, stakeholder engagement, and public education. His work involves engagement with domestic and international law enforcement institutions, civil society organisations, public institutions, and governance partners to promote collaboration, information exchange, and collective action in strengthening integrity systems, institutional effectiveness, and accountability frameworks.
Before joining the Office of the Special Prosecutor, he built a career across journalism, legal practice, risk analysis, and academia. As Ghana Correspondent for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), he reported on governance, politics, public affairs, and national developments for international audiences. He previously served as a Senior Broadcast Journalist with Multimedia Group Limited, covering major political, institutional, and governance issues and developing expertise in public-interest journalism, governance reporting, and policy communication.
He practised law as a Senior Associate at Cromwell Gray LLP, where he gained experience in litigation and legal advisory services, including criminal law, administrative law, media law, security law, and family law. He also served as an analyst with Africa Risk Consulting, providing risk intelligence and analytical insights to support investment decision-making and assessments of political and operational risks in African markets. These experiences provided him with practical insights into legal systems, institutional risks, regulatory environments, and governance challenges across African contexts.
He contributed to academic and institutional development at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), where he served as a Lecturer in Media Law and Communication Studies. He contributed to curriculum development, knowledge advancement, and the mentoring and development of academic talent. He played a key role in the development of the master's programme in Peace, Security and Intelligence Management and served as its first Coordinator. He also served as Coordinator of the Media and Website Unit, contributing to the University’s brand development, digital presence, stakeholder engagement, and institutional visibility.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from the University of Ghana, where he graduated with First Class Honours, and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the GIMPA Faculty of Law. He also holds a Master of Arts degree in Gender, Peace, and Security from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in partnership with GIMPA. He completed the Professional Law Course at the Ghana School of Law and was admitted to the Ghana Bar in 2017.
He has undertaken executive education at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, completing the Public Corruption Turnarounds Executive Education Programme and professional development programmes associated with the BBC Academy.
He is a member of the Ghana Bar Association, Ghana Journalists Association, and University Teachers Association of Ghana.
His areas of expertise include governance and institutional reform, anti-corruption systems, strategic communication, legal and regulatory frameworks, political and operational risk analysis, stakeholder engagement, capacity development, and institutional strengthening.