TOKYO, Oct 20 (NHK) - An independent panel investigating fraudulent inspections at Japan's Mitsubishi Electric has uncovered dozens more cases.

The company has announced punishments for more executives to hold them accountable for the widening scandal.

The panel was set up last year, following the revelation of irregularities involving product inspections. It released its final report on Thursday with the results of investigations of all Mitsubishi Electric factories in Japan.

Seventy new cases were found at 11 facilities including a factory in Hyogo Prefecture. Managers at the factory intentionally revised the test results of its products and submitted false documents to customers for more than 20 years.

The total number of cases has now risen to 197 at 17 factories, or nearly 80 percent of the company's domestic plants.