TOKYO >> The chair of the Japanese beverage giant Suntory has resigned amid a police investigation into his purchase of a supplement that could be illegal in Japan, the company said Tuesday.

Takeshi Niinami, 66, an influential executive in Japan, was named chair of Suntory in March. He had previously served as the whiskey and beer maker’s CEO for a decade.

At a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday, Suntory executives declined to specify the supplements in question, stating that their legality was part of the investigation. The company added that Niinami had resigned before any conclusion was reached. In a statement relayed by the company, Niinami said it was “regrettable” that he could no longer continue as chair.

The daily newspaper Tokyo Shimbun reported that police were looking at whe

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