Prosecutors will not indict ex-Toyota exec Hamp over painkillers: sources

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. Kyodo said the prosecutors didn’t have enough evidence to come up with an indictment in her case, though the information was coming from anonymous sources.

Hamp, who resigned from Toyota resigned last week, has not been available for comment.

But Hamp, who has remained in custody since her arrest June 18, nonetheless relinquished her job at the world’s largest automaker, where she had become the top ranking female executive. This drug is strictly controlled in the country.

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.

Julie Hamp Toyota’s female exec had been in the process of moving to Japan as the first foreign executive of Toyota to be permanently stationed in Japan, according to reports. The company’s president, Akio Toyoda, even held a televised news conference to declare Hamp a “friend” and an “invaluable” part of the automaker.

She was arrested at a Tokyo hotel, where she had been staying while house-hunting.

The pills were found by Japanese custom officials when the box containing them arrived at Narita airport outside Tokyo on June 11.

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.

Japanese law allows a suspect to be jailed for up to 23 days without being charged.

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