Many questions remain to be answered in Mizuhara gambling scandal

TOKYO — I was shocked to read the news that Ippei Mizuhara, the well-known interpreter and constant companion of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani for the past several years, had been fired by the team for an alleged “massive theft” of millions of dollars from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts.

Ohtani and his representatives have reportedly accused Mizuhara, of stealing funds from the athlete in order to place bets with an illegal bookmaker, one, Mathew Bowyer, whose home was raided by federal agents last year, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. The same group has been investigating a large gambling operation in the area. Ohtani’s name was found on a number of wire transfers.

However, the fast-breaking sequence of reports is not without its curiosities.