A group company within Eneos Holdings, Japan's largest petroleum wholesaler, has dismissed its chairman for sexual harassment at a social gathering. In recent years, two other top executives of the group have been exposed for similar misconduct.

The subsidiary, Japan Renewable Energy, announced the dismissal of Chairman Yasu Shigeru on Wednesday.

The company said a whistleblower had informed it of the incident in late December last year. An investigation by the company later verified the report.

Yasu reportedly said he was drinking and does not remember what he did, but will accept the punishment.

Yasu became chairman of the firm in 2015. He is also the President of the Japan Wind Power Association, an organization of member wind power firms.

In August 2022, parent company Eneos Holdings' then Chairman Sugimori Tsutomu resigned for sexually harassing a woman tending to customers at a restaurant.

Saito Takeshi, the president at the time, had pledged to prevent a recurrence. But in December last year, Saito himself was dismissed for inappropriately hugging a woman at a social gathering while drunk.

Eneos Holdings offered its deep apologies on Wednesday to those affected. The firm said it takes the incidents of inappropriate behavior within its corporate group seriously. It also said the whole group will work together to rigorously respect human rights and enforce compliance.