Tokyo police on Wednesday arrested a civil servant employed by the central government on suspicion of distributing fliers on behalf of the Japanese Communist Party last year.

Such behavior would violate a law restricting political activities by civil servants, police said.

Akio Horikoshi, a 50-year-old employee of the Social Insurance Agency, was arrested Wednesday.

Horikoshi allegedly distributed JCP fliers at more than 100 locations in Tokyo between Oct. 19 and Nov. 3 last year, ahead of the Nov. 9 general election for the House of Representatives. He has owned up to the charge, they said.