0
0
Formal Investigation Opened into Allegations Against Los Angeles Dodgers Superstar Shohei Ohtani
Major League Baseball has initiated a formal investigation into the situation concerning Los Angeles Dodgers standout player Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, as declared by the league on Friday. MLB is anticipated to conduct interviews with all involved parties, including Ohtani and Mizuhara. However, it has been disclosed that Mizuhara is not obligated to participate in the investigation due to no longer being affiliated with baseball.
Ohtani, being a member of the MLB Players Association, holds the right to decline cooperation. Furthermore, he might choose not to participate on the grounds of an ongoing criminal inquiry based on arbitration precedents. MLB typically allows players to refuse cooperation under such circumstances if they are subjects of the investigation, which is not believed to be the case for Ohtani.
In their statement, Major League Baseball mentioned that they started collecting information about the accusations involving Ohtani and Mizuhara following recent reports. The league’s Department of Investigations officially commenced the inquiry on Friday. This action was taken two days subsequent to Mizuhara’s dismissal by the Dodgers amid inquiries about substantial funds transferred from Ohtani’s account to a bookmaking operation under federal scrutiny.
Over the span of 48 hours, the narrative concerning the funds transferred evolved from claims of repayment for gambling debts to Ohtani’s legal team asserting that he was a victim of grand larceny. Whether authorities are probing the alleged theft remains uncertain, despite Ohtani’s representatives stating that they have reported the matter to law enforcement agencies.
Various sources have revealed that neither the California Bureau of Investigation nor the FBI is actively looking into the case. Local law enforcement agencies have indicated that it likely falls under federal jurisdiction. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California declined to provide any comment on the situation.
Ohtani is anticipated to continue playing for the Dodgers throughout the duration of MLB’s investigation. Given that the allegations do not pertain to the league’s domestic-violence policy and there is no evidence linking Ohtani directly to the bookmaker or any wagers placed on baseball, MLB sees no reason to suspend him from competition.
Investigative reporting by ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez contributed to this comprehensive report.
Image/Photo credit: source url
