A Liechtenstein bank official allegedly said three former employees of major securities firms, who helped Olympus Corp.'s loss-hiding scheme, instructed him to transfer 2.2 billion yen (US$23 million) from an account of the bank to different accounts, according to sources.

For their part, the three allegedly said the money was paid to the official of the Liechtenstein bank, and that they had nothing to do with the matter.

However, the special investigation unit of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office believes the testimony of the bank official could help them prove that the 2.2 billion yen was rewards from Olympus to the three, and that it could aid in a case that may be filed against them, the sources said.

Nobumasa Yokoo and two others have been arrested as accomplices in the case for allegedly instructing how to hide more than 100 billion yen of massive losses of the company.

On Tuesday, they were rearrested on suspicion of illegally transferring the 2.2 billion yen--believed to be reward money for advising Olympus executives--to several bank accounts.

A Liechtenstein bank official has testified to the country's judiciary that the three instructed him to shift the money to other accounts, according to the sources.

The prosecutors have obtained the testimony through intergovernmental cooperation over the investigation, they said.

The prosecutors office aims to confiscate the reward money as it believes the money is the proceeds of a crime.

According to evidence presented in a trial over Olympus' former executives, when the company posted more than 100 billion yen in losses from about 1995 through 2011, it shifted its investment losses to overseas funds and later inflated its assets to cover the losses.

For the money laundering activities, Yokoo, 59, and two other accomplices allegedly instructed Olympus to transfer the money to a Liechtenstein bank that has high confidentiality of information.

They also were involved in the establishment of overseas funds at such places at the British Cayman Islands, which is known as a tax haven.

When the three allegedly completed the money-laundering activities in 2008, they asked Olympus for rewards.

The 2.2 billion yen in consultant fees given to them by Olympus was shifted to the accounts of a fund managed by the Liechtenstein official.

In September and December in 2008, the money was again moved to other accounts also managed by the official.

The prosecutors office learned about the money transfers during an investigation of the window-dressing scheme.

The prosecutors office asked overseas judicial authorities for cooperation in the investigation. It later confirmed that the money was transferred to the three men's accounts after being shifted to several overseas accounts, the sources said.

Most of the money is frozen at the Liechtenstein bank, they added.

It will be able to ask the overseas authorities to return the frozen money if the three are indicted over the money laundering activities and it is ruled that the money is crime proceeds.