Julie Hamp, the 55-year-old ex-Toyota motor executive, had been imprisoned in a Tokyo jail since June 18 after she was arrested for allegedly importing the drug oxycodone into Japan illegally. But on Tuesday, the Japanese authorities are planning to release her from jail without any drug charges.
A New York-born executive, Julie Hamp, had been the highest-ranking woman at Toyota who served as the company's global communications chief. However, she resigned from her post last week three months after her appointment. According to Brandon Sun, she was arrested in June on suspicion of importing oxycodone, a narcotic pain killer that is tightly controlled in Japan.
The arrest of ex-Toyota executive Julie Hamp came after she arranged with her father to have 57 oxycodone pills, which were supposedly used to help alleviate her knee pain, sent via air mail from the U.S. to a Tokyo hotel in June. The addictive pills were found in a small parcel labelled "necklaces," which were buried at the bottom of the parcel. And the act was considered as an importation of narcotic.
Fortunately, Hamp was released from custody without charges on Wednesday. Reuters reported Japanese prosecutors declined to comment on the report. A Toyota spokesperson, on the other hand, noted the company is closely monitoring what will happen next.
Hamp also admitted she knew the drug was regulated in Japan. However, she did not consider it an illegal drug.
Meanwhile, Japanese prosecutors are not obliged to publicly explain the reasons for their decisions to free ex-Toyota executive Julie Hamp without pursuing charges. But for some legal experts, a show of remorse and first-time offenders tend to win some leniency.
"The prosecutors appeared to have taken into consideration the fact that the 55-year-old American's act was not malicious and that she has already resigned from the post at the Japanese automaker," Kyodo News wrote on its Web site, citing "investigative sources," NBC News noted.
Toyota President Akio Toyoda has defended Julie Hamp, calling her an invaluable member and asset of the Toyota team. He also acknowledged that he was not able to provide a helping hand to Hamp while properly preparing her departure from Japan.
Julie Hamp's arrest in June was deemed as a big embarrassment for Toyota, which highlighted the company's missteps in its effort to diversity and become more international in its corporate culture.
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