It has been reported by Japan’s Kyodo News that the American Toyota executive after being arrested in Japan for an alleged drug-law violation, will be released on Tuesday.
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Prosecutors lacked enough evidence to indict Hamp, Kyodo said, without saying where it got the information. Neither Toyota nor the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the report so far.
Hamp was also not available for comment. The company accepted Hamp’s resignation as communications chief less than two weeks after President Akio Toyoda had called a press conference to vouch for her character and express confidence she hadn’t intentionally broken Japanese law.
Japan’s daily Yomiuri newspaper reported Hamp was unlikely to be charged because prosecutors judged there was little criminal intent in the case, in which a family member had mailed Oxycodone pills to her to alleviate knee pain. The drug is tightly controlled here.
Hamp’s appointment as head of communications last April had been highlighted by Toyota Motor Corp.as a step toward promoting diversity, according to reports. Before that, she worked for PepsiCo Inc. and General Motors Co. Toyoda has acknowledged the company should have done more to help her relocation.
She was detained starting June 18 after allegedly importing prescription painkillers that need to be carefully approved for personal use before being brought into the country.
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Oxycodone – an opioid used to relieve pain – is legal with a prescription, but importing it without permission from the authorities is illegal and could be punished by up to 10 years in prison. In Japan, suspects can be held in custody for up to 23 days without formal charges. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
