JAPANESE Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was grilled by opposition MPs in parliament today over a widening school land sale scandal linked to his wife, as his government’s approval ratings plunged to their lowest levels.

MPs renewed demands that Mr Abe’s wife and top officials involved in the land sale be summoned to testify in parliament. Mr Abe has denied wrongdoing.

Smouldering for a year, the scandal erupted again last week after Finance Ministry officials acknowledged tampering with land sale documents, including deleting references to Akie Abe, following a newspaper report in early March. The tampering is under criminal investigation by prosecutors.