“The one question I would have is who had authority to execute these wire transfers,” said Peter Grupe, a former FBI agent who ran the bureau’s white-collar crime division in New York. He said it would be “highly unlikely” that Ohtani didn’t have a business manager or anyone else in a similar role who could have flagged unusual movements of funds.

The alleged payments pose another head scratcher: Why would any illicit bookmaker allow Mizuhara to accrue a debt in the millions?

“Something’s not adding up,” said John Holden, an associate professor at Oklahoma State who studies the gambling industry.

“You don’t expect an illegal bookie to run through the same ‘know your customer’ check as DraftKings or FanDuel,” Holden said, “ but if you suspect that someone is stealing a lot of money and wagering it with you, that’s going to bring a lot of unwanted attention on you as well.

“If you’re a bookie of any variety, you probably have questions about where people are getting their money.”

Ohtani’s theft allegations against Mizuhara on Monday were part of a scripted presentation. He read from notes in Japanese, with his words translated by a new interpreter, Will Ireton. No questions were allowed, and Ohtani did not address any matter relating to who had access to his funds. Nor did he identify any managers or advisors who might have monitored troubling transactions with his money.

The two-way player, who has become the face of baseball, said he didn’t learn of the Bowyer investigation until several days after the media first contacted his agent about the probe. That was while the Dodgers were in Seoul last week preparing for their season-opening series there against the San Diego Padres.

According to Ohtani, Mizuhara did not tell him about the media queries and lied to the ballplayer’s representatives about what he was relaying to him on the same subject.

Ohtani said in Japanese that he wants to “cooperate with the police in every aspect” of an investigation. Legal experts say prosecutors could have a difficult time convicting or even charging Mizuhara without Ohtani’s cooperation and, if necessary, courtroom testimony.

Ohtani also said he has “never bet on anything or bet for anyone on a sporting event or asked someone to bet for me.” He also denied knowingly paying Mizuhara’s gambling debts. MLB rules prohibit players from betting on baseball in any circumstances and from gambling on other sports through illegal means. Violations could result in punishments ranging from fines and suspensions to, in cases of betting on baseball, a permanent ban from the game. All-time hits leader Pete Rose was banned for betting on Cincinnati Reds games while he managed the team.

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