A former executive of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee is suspected of accepting a gratuity after he lobbied to steer a lucrative deal to an advertising agency.

Tokyo prosecutors on Tuesday arrested Takahashi Haruyuki for the third time in the widening sponsorship scandal over last year's Games.

He is accused of receiving about 100,000 dollars from a senior official of Daiko Advertising, Taniguchi Yoshikazu, who asked him to help the agency get involved in sponsorship contract business.

Sources say Taniguchi also asked Takahashi to help his agency's client become a sponsor.

The sources also say Takahashi successfully lobbied the committee to sign a contract, and Daiko was able to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars from its client.

Prosecutors believe that the bribe was a way to thank Takahashi for helping the agency get the deal.

He has been arrested on suspicions of bribery involving two sponsors of the Games.

Sources say he denies any wrongdoing.