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© 2015 AFPArrested American Toyota exec to be released
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© 2015 AFP
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Tom Thompson
yappari
Alex80
No surprise, she is American.
igloobuyer
I suspect back door negotiations. Only 1% of people arrested get 'released' in Japan
JeffLee
Oh yeah, "minor" crimes always result in police raids of major corporate headquarters.
Novenachama
This is not a surprise, as expected. It's who you know that matters. She was fortunate. Now she can move on with her life. It must have been a great relief for her. She probably saying That it's I'm getting outta here!
Alan
I think the raids were part of the punishment, not the investigation.
This is a tragedy all round. Ms. Hamp has lost a career she worked hard to build. Toyota have lost a talented executive. And Ms. Hamp still faces a long and difficult road to recovery from her problem with this drug.
khulifi
I said that when she was arrested and got ( -8 ) ....
gaijin6000
They were probably happy with her resignation and figured it was punishment enough.
M3M3M3
As I've said before, Japan is a safe place but at the same time, it's entirely lawless.
Gobshite
She is guilty of stupidity at most. 3 weeks in lock up for this offense is ridiculous, the sooner Japan leaves the 19th century the better...
WA4TKG
And guess how long YOU would STAY locked up if you were not a big shot.
Gobshite
Let me repeat.....
Yes, I know I'd get more, my comment remains. She shouldn't be locked up for 3 weeks, and neither should anyone else in that position, for this offence.
kurisupisu
I can go out and smoke and drink myself to death for no good reason yet it is not possible for a responsible person to self medicate. At 55 Ms Hamp's knees are most likely cartilage deficient meaning bones are rubbing together.Most painful- It is a pity that this wasn't swept under the carpet as it reall is a case of the molehill becoming the mountain .....
Mirai Hayashi
If I had sent oxycodone to myself in a package with a label that clearly and deliberate misrepresented its contents, I would have gotten 10 years or more. But if you're a white, rich, executive, not even a trial...you go home...probably first class.
M3M3M3
That really depends on what position you think she is in. Do you think she is someone who knew that importing these pills was technically illegal but instructed her father to conceal them, or just an innocent recipient of a package containing a genuine presecription?
TakahiroDomingo
if they release her, she's innocent. if she's innocent, she'll probably want her life back, taken away because she was assumed guilty. maybe now the prosecutors should be put in jail, it would only be fair.
Peeping_Tom
Takahiro,
She's not been released because "she's innocent".
She's been release because the Public Prosecutor(s) decided not to charge. Charging (or not) is a State's only prerogative
Prosecutors may give you a pass if they regard your "misdemeanour" a small one, and you don't have past criminal records.
Do not confuse one with the other.
Btw, I know what I'm talking about.
Gobshite
She apparently imported legal medication, without the necessary paperwork. Stupidity. She did not import heroine, cocaine or any other narcotics for distribution in Japan. There is a difference. Why she chose to do it is a mystery, she could easily get these drugs from a Japanese doctor, especially as Toyota have their own.
She could have been released on bail, with her passport withheld pending further investigation. Can't go far without it can she?
It doesn't take 3 weeks the decide "the relatively minor nature of the crime". This was all about humiliation, nothing more, nothing less. Why raid Toyota's office? 19th century justice.
Frederic Bastiat
Ridiculous. Why did she put a few pills in the separate boxes? It's obvious that she knew it was illegal. She just didn't expect to get caught. The charges were only dropped because of someone's high level connections. Utter BS.
yamashi
Gobshite "She apparently imported legal medication"
..by trying to hide it among belongings. Unfortunately, many Americans are addicted to various drugs.
danalawton1@yahoo.com
Ultimately.... say it was just some low level employee and the same happened. They would have done the same because its just a lot cheaper denying entry and letting the person go. Did you expect Japan to incarcerate her just to prove a point.
HongoTAFEinmate
After all that? Am I the only one left scratching my head? So the police and the prosecutors spoon feed the media and portray this as the crime of the century. Toyota bails on the employee and hangs her out to dry. The suspect breaks the law and tries to hide a prohibited substance in her belongings. She then does the "honorable" thing and resigns. What a load of garbage. This is neither one way nor the other. If she broke the law, she should stand trial. If she didn't, then the cops should apologize and she should get her job back. I suppose what will happen next is a complimentary trip to Narita.
Seriously, laws are on the books to be enforced. Moreover, there should be equality under law. Do you reckon your average joe, Japanese or foreign, would have got off so lightly? Definitely sends the wrong message about Japan, it seems to back up the claims of the conspiracy theorists who reckon this was just a cover to get rid of the foreign devil.
M3M3M3
@Gobshite
I understand your point but it's still illegal to import even a legal medication by mail and she seemed to be well aware of this based on the evidence. I think the law is the same in the US and elsewhere? If she was naive, the judge can consider this by giving her a suspended sentence.
But this is an excuse which could be abused by every prescription drug dealer/importer. If my parcel of 50,100,500 Oxycodone pills is intercepted by customs in Japan, should I simply be given the benifit of the doubt that it was legitimately prescribed even if I'm unable to provide a prescription from my doctor in Afganistan or another dubious country?
Since they likely suspected her of being a drug dealer, they probably feared that she might destroy (or instruct someone else) to destroy some 'secret stash' if she was released. That's why they raided Toyota to see if they could find any evidence of it in emails etc.
Yumster100
What you're saying is true in a way but unfortunately that's not how the real world works. There are studies that show disparities in sentences between different races as well as economic status of the defendant.
BurakuminDes
@ Yamashi:
The same can be said for many people in your country, mine, and everywhere - both legal and illegal drugs. Lets hope Ms Hamp now gets the help she needs if indeed she has a problem with chronic pain/addiction. It has been a very sad story, but I am glad no more custody will be handed down.
gogogo
Weak sauce, she only got off because she worked at the biggest Japanese company. Not so lucky for the American English teacher who was in jail for several weeks. Just shows money talks and BS walks.
Yumster100
@Burakumin,
No, I agree with the sentiment and its so unjust. Just pointing out how unfair the legal system is when you're the poor and/or was born with the wrong skin color.
japan4life
So Ms. Hamp was put in jail for 3 weeks, had her name and picture in all of the major media and was portrayed in a negative way by that same media, lost her job and Toyota had their offices searched and received negative publicity and after all of that the prosecutors are saying that it was a relatively minor offence so they are letting her go. I am no expert but should not the prosecutors determine if it is a major offence or a minor offence before they subject someone to what she was subjected to?
Gobshite
@gogogo read above
No she isn't, I doubt others get their company offices raided though. It's the 3 weeks in jail, and public humiliation by the J police I question. Then to say it's a minor problem?
Yumster100
Sorry Burakumin, I thought your quote was directed at me.
Japan4life,
The prosecutor will get the case after the arrest has been made. They have the power to determine whether to proceed or drop the case. By the time Ms. Hamp was arrested, the media was all over her because she is a high profile individual. In a sense, she had more to lose compared to the average joe (publicity being the most) but she was also able to escape prosecution due to her status. Having said that, the prosecutor needs to do their due diligence before dismissing a case; hence, the raid at the headquarters. For example, whether she tried to pull a "fast one" or she was distributing it to other executives at the office.
cleo
The bigger they come, the harder they fall?
The thing about enjoying more privileges than average is that you have more to lose when you make a mistake.
sfjp330
She previously held executive positions at GM and Pepsico. With the Harvard Business School and her resume, she will have no trouble finding another top position. Toyota did a bad job. Shame on Toyota. Maybe she had legitimate reason for her knee problem that she had that is acceptable in the U.S. She thought Japan was like the U.S., but it's a step backwards.
nath
With a drug addiction exposed through attempts to smuggle said drug into a foreign country, I don't think she will have such an easy time finding a new equivalent position. Oxycodone has a bad image in the US. It's essentially legal heroin, and when they stop prescribing it, often people will then switch to heroin.
yamashi
sfjp330 "Toyota did a bad job"
Toyota did a RIGHT job. No drug addicted among top executives!
"She thought Japan was like the U.S."
No way. Drug addicted people are often mentally unstable. Besides, they are vulnerable to manipulations from aside.
CannondaleCommuter
What a bunch of BS! If she were just an ordinary ex-pat working a typical job at a language school, bar, amusement park, or factory, she'd be tried, found guilty, locked up, and deported after serving time. Dropping the case?!? Unheard of in a country that has one of the highest conviction rates in the world!
kiyoshiMukai
Do you people think that importing illegal (opiate) medicine into another country. Should be left unpunished?. She lost her job. Thats enough punishment
Yumster100
No, she worked as an executive for the public relations department for one of the world's biggest company. The PR damage she's done for her former company can run into the millions. If she had a legitimate reason to have the drug prescribed, then it should not have been SMUGGLED in with using false labels. She should just go to the doctor in Japan and have it prescribed again. Not really an intelligent move.
If she did that in the US, the outcome will be the same. What company will keep her as their PR when that person caused so much negative press due to her actions?
sfjp330
At first, Toyota was very supportive of her. President Akio Toyoda apologized for the incident at a news conference, saying he believed Hamp had no intention of breaking the law.
“To me, executives and staff are like my children,” he said. “It’s the responsibility of a parent to protect their children.”
His unabashed support for his ‘child’ did not sit well with the police, who probably felt as if they had lost face. They raided Toyota’s offices on June 23.
yamashiJUL. 08, 2015 - 10:29AM JST sfjp330 "Toyota did a bad job" Toyota did a RIGHT job. No drug addicted among top executives! "She thought Japan was like the U.S." No way. Drug addicted people are often mentally unstable. Besides, they are vulnerable to manipulations from aside.
Your Japanese police have judiciously leaked information to bolster their case since the arrest and the country’s newspapers have had no hesitation in reporting it under headlines such as “Medical exam shows no need for painkiller,” “Police fearlessly take on Goliath company” and the vaguely xenophobic “Diversification a problem for Japan.”
In the end, Toyota accepted her resignation on July 1, because of “the concerns and inconvenience that recent events have caused our stakeholders.” Does anyone really believe that a high-paid executive of Toyota was smuggling oxycodone into Japan in an attempt to get high or, worse, sell it to a third party?
Moonraker
The police got to show how important they are for a hot second and then the injustice system showed "mercy". What could be more Japan? To the average person in Japan the message is the police are swiftly on the case but America still has enough leverage to be blamed when Japan doesn't quite go the way they might like.
Wakarimasen
Well the damage is done. she has paid a far greater price professionally than a fine or week in the slammer would have been. It's the Japanese way - bit of humiliation works every time.
Yumster100
@sfjp
The fact that Toyota didn't cut off all connections with Ms. Hamp in the beginning and without further inquiry shows that Toyota didn't throw her under the bus. They didn't provide further stress to Ms. Hamp regarding her work position during the ordeal and allowed her to concentrate and deal with the police matter only. But your statement regarding police action to raid the headquarters are speculations at best. "police probablyfelt as if they had lost face -->thus the raid.
That's where the due diligence comes in, right? Also, that's not how the law works. She did smuggle the drug, which is illegal even if she had been prescribed by a doctor since it was mailed. If she got her hands on it, there's a possibility to sell to a third party.
Toyota allowed her to resign rather than getting fired. She might be able to retain her pension or perhaps collect unemployment(?). Can't really fault the company.
sfjp330
I don't know if damage has done. What it tells you is that this news in Japan will not attract talented foreign executives with minor problems that that can benefit the Japanese companies. China might be a better destination for career advancement.
Badge213
All this story shows if you are rich and a woman you can get off, but if are a male you go to jail. JT has been silent on the recent news of an American man in Japan.sentenced for almost the exact crime.
M3M3M3
Strictly speaking that may be true, but anyone in Japan who is off base can be arrested if they are found in circumstances that support a reasonable suspicion that they might selling or distributing those pills. (ie. A large number of pills without a prescription and a huge wad of cash etc.)
Badge213
Probably a special arraignment here. She quits Toyota, leaves the country and after a bit everyone forgets. Keep in the news, with a trial etc, Toyota's name is damaged even more.
David Blue
Please keep her, America doesn't want that trash back.
danalawton1@yahoo.com
I challenge the people that say she got off easy to show us a case, where, under the same circumstances, the person was incarcerated for a lengthy period of time... i.e., more than 6 months or a year. Too many people spew comments with out actually doing their homework first. If the person was a known drug dealer and had a criminal record I could see jail time. But a prescribed drug and a person with no criminal background is a total different case.
yamashi
sfjp330 "I don't know if damage has done"
I am a long time customer of Toyota cars. And I have a right to expect that all Toyota managers will be sane, honest both to policy of company, to clients let alone highly professional. I need not to find smugglers and drug addicts among them. There is nothing positive in dirty spots on international image of the company. Can you realize it?
M3M3M3
@danalawton1@yahoo.com
I agree, but I think what's being missed by alot of people is that from the very start, police and prosecuters were probably never interested in prosecuting a simple case of one person importing a few painkillers. But by importing so many pills in such a suspicious manner, they had no choice but to investigate whether she was a dealing them to other people. When it turned out she wasn't, they decided to drop the charges.
Magnus Roe
That is bs, you're mixing up convictions and acquittals. She wasn't charged, which isn't uncommon when it comes to foreigners who will stay short term. Toyota having terminated her likely cancelled her visa, and made a deportation the most practical way to deal with a minor crime like this.
Kaerimashita
she can try and get a job as a PR at a big pharmaceutical company.....
wtfjapan
The American troops based in Japan are exempt from the banned prescription law. If they are found off base with them they can't be arrested. yep the USPS on bases is the drug mule for the US military personel
camnai
Unfortunately it takes three weeks before the Prosecutors can step in and tell the National Police Agency they don't have a case. Whoever it is in the NPA that is responsible for this woman, and then Toyota, being treated as if she were part of an international drug smuggling conspiracy needs to be transferred to embassy guard duty. The price of getting a talented foreign executive to accept a job in Japan has just gone up about 25 per cent. This is how you turn Tokyo into a backwater.
Nessie
Legalize Hamp!
HonestDictator
I hope the lesson learned here is, do things properly and you won't lose an executive level job as well as career due to poorly thought out choices.
I'm still amazed at seeing how many people lose high level positions and jobs, because of one stupid choice. All she needed was a legitimate prescription and announcement that she was bringing it over.
Nessie
More like Ms. Hamp pissed away a job doing something illegal.
TexPomeroy
Nessie - quite right!
Daniel Neagari
I suspect a heavy payment from Toyota has being made.... Is she word it?
By the way, nobody buys the story that she "didn't know was illegal" thing
GW
Like I predicted she got off EASY! She better thank her lucky stars or rather the star spangled banner & the fact she is WHITE, many others would see jail time for sure!!
supercub
You guys realize she was in jail for three weeks, right? That's how it seems to go in Japan. Relatively minor drug offenses result in 3-6 weeks of jail and repeated interrogation. It sucks and scares the stuffing out of people, so why then bother having the expense and bother of a trial?
Daniel Neagari
@supercub
Be cause, she brought those "meds" knowing they were illegal. She knew she was breaking the law and she is getting away with it without a proper trial (that registers as "guilty of charge" in paper).
She is getting of...and as always, money and power had the final word
25psot
She don't have her job and she will fly home like a loser this is her punishment that's why prosecutors released her not because to small infraction as others they would put in jail for just breathing air.
JoiceRojo
Although legally she could be innocent, her actions are not, her reputation and job got ruined after this incident, so she got what she deserved.
toshiko
Members of PR exec selection committee of Toyota USA will be careful next time they are appointed to PR exec selection commitee/ Too many applicants and after screened out, they have to choose one out of several who will niot be contraversial and healthy.;
GW
To those that negged my above quote can you please go back a fix things
Turns I out I was BANG ON correct, the US ambassador Kennedy-san herself intervened to get Ham outta jail!!
Just sayin!
toshiko
In USA. first offender like her, will be bailed by the judge and the suspect pay 10 % of bail with restriction she can not ,move out from the court judiisdictiom. In Japan, jail. All foreign embassies look after their people and USA ia not exemption, Guilty until proven innocent country she experienced.
€€
LarsK
Good luck for any other foreign female executive to get a high ranking job in Japan after this.
toshiko
Maybe to protect her jewels, her father placed cheap presc dug jars in jewl box?