Source: PAMS Foundation Facebook

BREAKING NEWS - WAYNE LOTTER MURDER CASE: Life sentence for 11 accused in Wayne Lotter murder trial proves wildlife crime does not pay
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - 2 December, 2022
Eleven people on trial for the 2017 murder of conservationist and PAMS Foundation co-founder, Wayne Lotter, were found guilty and sentenced to death in a Tanzanian court on Wednesday.
Lotter (51), a well-known South African conservationist who had been working in Tanzania since 2008 was gunned down in a targeted attack in August 2017 when the vehicle he was travelling in was ambushed.
PAMS co-founder and Director, Krissie Clark said that she and her colleagues are relieved that the trial is over. “We are ready to close this sad chapter and focus on empowering the people of Tanzania to protect and live in harmony with nature. Wayne’s murder and the sentencing of the eleven accused should serve as a reminder to everyone that poaching and wildlife crime is devastating to all of us. It destroys Tanzania’s extraordinary natural heritage and damages families and communities. Wildlife crime doesn’t pay.”
While the eleven people convicted of Lotter’s murder have been sentenced to death, Tanzania does not carry out executions. The eleven will instead face live imprisonment.
Clark says the Tanzanian authorities must be commended for their dedication throughout the investigation and trial. “As PAMS Foundation, we would really like to thank the police, the investigators and the prosecution team for their incredible work over the last 5 years. They showed remarkable skill and determination in solving what has been a very complicated and difficult case. I’d also like to thank the Tanzanian government for their dedication to fighting the scourge of poaching and environmental crime. We stand with you in protecting Tanzania’s people and her magnificent wildlife.”
In a final tribute to her late colleague, Clark says that Lotter’s legacy of creativity, resilience, compassion and total dedication to conservation lives on through PAMS Foundation’s work. “Wayne had a remarkable ability to inspire people with his passion for wildlife and his legendary sense of humor. His spirit lives on in the work we do every day”