An affiliated group of the Japan Veterinary Medical Association alleged Thursday that a Cabinet minister told its executives last November that the government had already decided to allow school operator Kake Gakuen to open a new veterinary department, in yet another twist to the continuing scandal.
At the same time Nihon Juishi Renmei (Japan Veterinary Medical League), the association's affiliated organization for political activities, released what it says is an excerpt of the minutes of a meeting with Kozo Yamamoto, minister in charge of regional revitalization, which took place in Tokyo on Nov. 17.
That date is two months before the government officially announced it had chosen Kake Gakuen after publicly seeking applications for the special deregulation project.