(Rio de Janeiro) A Brazilian magistrate has fined soccer star Neymar $3.3 million for building an artificial lake in his suburban Rio de Janeiro mansion without an environmental permit, authorities said on Monday .
The Mangaratiba city council imposed four fines for “environmental violations in the construction of an artificial lake in the player’s mansion”, the council secretariat said in a statement.
“The penalties amount to more than 16 million reais” ($3.3 million), the statement said, an amount set by the prosecutor’s office in Mangaratiba, a tourist area located about 130 kilometers from Rio, where the star of Paris Saint-Germain owns a mansion.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MANGARATIVA ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT, ARCHIVE VIA REUTERS
The father of Brazilian soccer star Neymar Jr, Neymar Da Silva Santos, chats with officials as construction of an artificial lake is halted on his son’s property due to environmental infractions.
Among the “dozens of offences” identified, the authorities cited “the execution of works subject to environmental control without authorization”, the capture and diversion of river water without authorization, and “the removal of land and the removal of vegetation without authorization”.
Neymar has 20 days to appeal the sanction, the amount of which was initially set at five million reais, or nearly one million dollars.
On June 22, following complaints on social media, authorities found several environmental violations at the luxury property, where workers were building an artificial lake and beach.
Authorities closed the site and ordered a halt to all activity, but Brazilian media reported that Neymar held a party there and bathed in the lake.
Neymar’s press office in Brazil did not respond to an AFP request for comment.
Neymar, 31, is currently recovering from surgery on his right ankle, which he underwent in March in Doha. The striker hasn’t played since February and doubts remain over whether he will stay at PSG.