Maekawa also referred to having seen evidential documents purportedly showing that Cabinet Office officials pressured the education ministry to select Kake Educational Institution.

The documents contain phrases from officials referring to the selection and expediting of construction of the new school to be operated by Kake as being "what the highest level of the prime minister's office has said" and "in line with the prime minister's wishes."

Despite Abe and other Cabinet members consistently denying any misconduct, it is the second such scandal involving a school operator with close links to the prime minister.

Suspicion was initially cast on Abe for his and his wife's questionable ties and reports of donations given to the Osaka-based nationalist school operator Moritomo Gakuen.

The operator was allowed to purchase state-owned land at a fraction of its appraisal value and Akie Abe was slated to be the honorary principle of the new elementary school built on the land.

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