A senior official of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party says the party is not planning to investigate alleged cases of gift vouchers handed out by prime ministers.



It has been revealed that Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru distributed gift coupons worth about 700 dollars each to 15 LDP lawmakers' offices before a gathering at his official residence. In addition, an LDP Lower House member disclosed that he had received a similar voucher when he became a lawmaker under the second administration of the late Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.



Noda Yoshihiko, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan -- the largest opposition group -- has called for the LDP to look into the gift voucher cases, saying that the practice may have continued for a long time.



On Tuesday, LDP Secretary-General Moriyama Hiroshi told reporters that he does not think it was a long-standing practice to give gift vouchers to party members.



However, he stressed the need to provide sincere explanations to the public even though there were no violations of the political funds control law or the public office election law.