Neymar fined $3.3M for illegal artificial lake at mansion near Rio

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar has been fined more than 16 million reais (€3.06 million, $3.33 million) by Brazilian authorities for breaching local environmental regulations while having work done on his coastal mansion in the city of Mangaratiba outside Rio de Janeiro.

Mangaratiba City Hall said in a statement on Monday night it had issued four fines after Neymar was accused of illegally building an artificial lake at his mansion.

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Spokespeople for Neymar, 31, declined to comment to both ESPN and The Associated Press.

Neymar can appeal the decision, which will be handed to police for possible prosecution.

On June 22, environmental officers inspected Neymar’s property in the town of Mangaratiba following complaints made, which showed major construction work carried out without environmental authorisation.

Mangaratiba City Hall said in a statement that dozens of environmental infractions were made “in the construction of an artificial lake at the mansion.”

Among the infractions was the capture and diversion of river water without authorisation, earth movement and suppression of vegetation without authorisation.

“The Department of the Environment, in addition to applying the fines considering the environmental damage caused, as well as the disrespect for the environmental laws in force, have notified the facts found to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Civil Police, the Environmental Protection Police Station and other environmental control bodies,” a statement said.

The company that built the artificial lake, Genesis Ecossistemas, celebrated the 10-day job for Neymar on its social media channels. It said the lake is 1,000 square meters (10,764 square feet). The company issued a statement on Instagram saying that it would seek the necessary permitting and work with the government to abide by the regulations.

The 46-page city hall document shows Neymar received the maximum fine for each of the violations he is accused of.

It was signed by the city’s attorney-general and also said the player’s father, Neymar da Silva Santos, verbally abused local authorities last week when they came to the mansion to put the construction works to a halt.

Mangaratiba city hall said the illegal construction works cost Neymar about 120,000 Brazilian reals ($25,000).

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.