Panasonic Corp. has disciplined more than 90 employees involved in TV-related procurement deals for accepting dinners from parts suppliers overseas in violation of company rules, a company official said Saturday.

The employees had been wined and dined by local parts manufacturers on over 2,000 occasions over a period of several years until this year, when they made business trips to China and elsewhere.

Several employees were demoted Monday, with the rest either being suspended or given reprimands, the official said.

Panasonic in principle bans employees involved in the procurement business from being wined and dined by suppliers to prevent dubious business deals. It also forbids employees from having meals or playing golf with business partners even if expenses are shared.

The official said the company has not found any instances where the disciplined employees provided favors in return.