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.
Mr. Darko is a lawyer, journalist, academic, intelligence analyst, and public sector leader with close to 20 years of cross-sector experience in anti-corruption enforcement, governance, strategic communication, law, media, sales, and institutional reform.
In his role, he leads strategic planning, policy-oriented research, intelligence-informed communication, technology and innovation initiatives, corruption risk analysis, youth anti-corruption programmes, and public engagement efforts within Ghana’s anti-corruption architecture. His work is centred on strengthening institutional accountability, transparency, public trust, and ethical governance across the public sector.
Recognised for combining legal precision with investigative insight and public communication, Mr. Darko represents a new generation of African public sector leaders shaping contemporary discourse on corruption, due process, democratic accountability, transparency, privacy, and institutional integrity.
Before joining the Office of the Special Prosecutor, he built an extensive multidisciplinary career across journalism, legal practice, academia, intelligence consulting, and public policy.
Mr. Darko began his professional journey in journalism and later served as the BBC Correspondent in Accra for five years, reporting across West Africa on governance, public policy, elections, humanitarian crises, security, and social affairs. His journalism blended investigative reporting with public-interest analysis and strategic storytelling. He also consulted for and trained professionals and institutions in news reporting, media law, strategic communication, crisis communication, and media relations.
As a legal practitioner, he worked as a Senior Associate at Cromwell Gray LLP in Ghana, specialising in litigation, criminal law, administrative law, media law, security law, and family law. He also served as an intelligence officer with Africa Risk Consulting, contributing to strategic risk analysis and advisory work relating to governance, security, and institutional exposure.
In academia, he lectured in media law and communications at the University of Professional Studies, Accra and Wisconsin International University College. He played an influential role in establishing the Master’s programme in Peace, Security and Intelligence Management (MPSI) at UPSA and later served as coordinator for the programme, as well as for the institution’s Media and Website Unit.
Mr. Darko is also a prolific writer, researcher, and commentator with contributions to academic and professional publications on governance, peace and security, media, law, institutional reform, corruption risk, and public accountability.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies with First Class Honours issued by University of Ghana, a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, and a Master of Arts degree in Gender, Peace and Security Studies from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre.
He undertook his professional legal training at the Ghana School of Law and was called to the Ghana Bar in 2017 as a Barrister-at-Law of the Republic of Ghana.
In May 2024, he completed the Executive Programme on Public Corruption Turnarounds at the Blavatnik School of Government-University of Oxford, where he focused on strategies for combating and reversing corruption within public institutions. He also holds a Certificate in Multimedia Broadcasting from the BBC Academy.
He is a member of the Ghana Bar Association, the University Teachers Association of Ghana, and the Ghana Journalists Association.