Investors lashed out at executives of UFJ Holdings Inc. on Friday over the firm's dismal performance and its alleged misconduct ahead of government inspections.

At an annual shareholders' meeting in Tokyo, investors demanded that UFJ Holdings President Takeshi Sugihara and others in top management positions explain what had gone wrong.

"We are very sorry to have caused worry and disappointment among our shareholders," Sugihara told the gathering, before being heckled by some of the 670 participants.