Japan's Abe denies abusing influence in favouritism scandal

The questioning outside parliament's ordinary session, a rare occurrence, underscores the ruling Liberal Democrat party's eagerness to regain public trust. Abe is expected to reshuffle his Cabinet next week, after seeing public approval sink following various scandals and his party's railroading of unpopular legislation.

Monday's questioning was over allegations that Abe intervened to help a friend, Kotaro Kake, gain approval to open a veterinary school in western Japan. During the session in the lower house of parliament, Abe said he only sought reforms for the sector in a special economic zone and did not directly get involved in the decision on Kake's application.

"I only instructed to speed up efforts for the deregulation reforms. I have never issued instructions on specific cases," Abe said. "The approval is a result of the process that was appropriate and open."

The school scandal erupted after a whistleblower and former top education ministry bureaucrat,

Kihei Maekawa, came forward to say that Abe's office had had significant influence over the school's approval and distorted the decision.

Scores of ministry documents showed the alleged pressure for an early approval of Kake's application came from the "top levels" of the Prime Minister's Office, said Maekawa.