Tokyo — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe denied involvement in a decision to let his close friend open a veterinary school, as new evidence emerged about one of a series of government scandals undermining his bid to stay on as leader. Abe issued his denial in parliament after media reports linking his office to the approval of the college, whose operators were given a free plot of land. The Asahi newspaper reported on Tuesday that an Abe aide had referred to the project as "a matter relating to the prime minister" during a key 2015 meeting on the matter. "There was absolutely no problem with the process of establishing this veterinary school," Abe told a committee meeting Wednesday. "In addition, there is not a single person who received instructions from me." He also denied receiving any requests on the matter from his friend Kotaro Kake, who operates the educational foundation. The veterinary school case is one of several scandals that have prompted responses from Abe in recent ...
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