LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani said on March 25 that he had never bet on baseball or other sports, declaring himself “saddened and shocked” after accusing his interpreter of stealing from his bank account to pay off millions of dollars in gambling debts.

In his first public comments on the scandal that erupted last week and led to the firing of his long-time friend and translator Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani emphasised he had been the victim of a theft and that he had no knowledge of Mizuhara’s gambling problems.

“I never bet on baseball or any other sports and I have never asked somebody to do that on my behalf and I have never been through a bookmaker to bet on sports,” he said.

Ohtani joined the Dodgers last December in a record-breaking 10-year, US$700 million (S$941.9 million) deal. He said he had learnt of the revelations involving Mizuhara only after the season-opening win on March 20 against the San Diego Padres in Seoul.

He added that the interview which Mizuhara gave to ESPN on March 19 before the scandal broke, in which the latter said Ohtani had knowingly wired money to a California bookmaker to pay off the gambling debts, was a “complete lie”.

“Obviously I never agreed to pay off this debt or make payments to the bookmakers,” Ohtani, 29, said. “Until a couple of days ago, I didn’t know this was happening. Ippei has stolen money from my account and told lies. I’m very saddened and shocked that someone whom I trusted has done this.”

He did not explain how Mizuhara had been able to access his bank account to steal an amount reported to be US$4.5 million.

Major League Baseball (MLB) on March 22 announced it had launched a formal investigation into the allegations.

It is expected to request interviews with all parties, including Ohtani and Mizuhara, although officials cannot compel Mizuhara’s cooperation because he no longer works for the league.

“I’m going to let my lawyers handle this from here on out and I am completely assisting in all investigations that are taking place right now,” Ohtani, who has won the American League MVP award twice, added.

The scandal exploded into public view last week when Ohtani’s lawyers issued a statement after receiving media inquiries about a federal investigation into an alleged illegal bookmaker in which Ohtani’s name surfaced.

MLB’s gambling policy bars “any player, umpire, or club or league official or employee” from betting on baseball or making illegal bets on any other sport.

Players found guilty of betting on a game they were involved in are subject to life bans, with one-year suspensions if they are found to have gambled on games in which they are not directly involved in. AFP