Diksia.com - Brazilian soccer star Neymar Jr. was fined Monday (7 March) after local authorities in Brazil found his sprawling beach house violated environmental regulations.
Neymar has been fined 16 million Brazilian rials or $3.33 million for illegally building an artificial lake on his vast property.
Neymar Jr.’s multi-million dollar condo complex is located in the coastal city of Mangaratiba on the south coast of Rio de Janeiro state.
On June 22, after complaints stemming from social media posts, authorities discovered multiple environmental violations at the luxury property where workers are building artificial lakes and beaches.
Violations included “performing work regulated by environmental control regulations without a permit,” collecting and diverting river water without a permit, and “unauthorized land clearing and vegetation suppression.”
Last month the authorities closed the grounds and ordered all activities to cease, however Brazilian media reported that Neymar was still partying there and bathing in the lake.
The Mangaratiba City Council issued four fines for “environmental violations in the construction of an artificial lake” at Neymar’s home, the city council secretariat said in a statement.
“The sanctions amount to more than 16 million riyals,” said the statement, obtained by prosecutors in Mangaratiba, a tourist area about 130 kilometers from Rio de Janeiro, where the Paris Saint-Germain soccer star lives.
Neymar bought a gated community in Mangaratiba in 2016. According to Brazilian media, the property sits on a 10,000 square meter plot, equipped with a helipad, spa and gym.
Neymar has 20 days to appeal the verdict, which was originally set at just five million reais, or almost a million dollars.
In addition to the fines, the case is also being investigated by other environmentalists, including the local prosecutor and the Brazilian Police Environmental Protection Service. When contacted, Neymar’s spokesman still refused to comment on the matter.
Neymar, 31, is currently recovering from surgery on his right ankle which he underwent in Doha in March.
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Source: Deutsche Welle
