MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s president, Enrique Peña Nieto, on Thursday denied accusations that he had personally tried to pressure a top business ally to quell criticism of his administration and its failure to curb corruption.

The episode, reported in The New York Times on Wednesday, occurred at a private meeting Mr. Peña Nieto called in May with dozens of Mexico’s top business leaders, including Claudio X. González Laporte, the chairman of Kimberly-Clark de Mexico for decades.

According to five people who recounted the gathering, the president singled out Mr. González and told him that his son, a prominent anti-corruption crusader, should halt his criticism of the government.

In an interview scheduled for broadcast on Thursday night, Mr. Peña Nieto said he did not have a clear recollection of the details of the meeting, but he recalled that the subject of corruption was discussed. He said he had urged the attendees to talk about the positive achievements of the administration.