Brazilian soccer star Neymar has been hit with a hefty fine of 16 million reais ($3.3 million) for constructing a lake at his mansion near Rio de Janeiro without the necessary environmental license.
The local town council in Mangaratiba issued the fines, citing various environmental violations related to the construction of the artificial lake on Neymar’s property.
These violations included carrying out unauthorized work, diverting river water without permission, and removing land and vegetation without authorization.
Neymar has a period of 20 days to appeal the penalty, which was initially set at five million reais.
The luxury property came under scrutiny after complaints were made on social media, leading authorities to discover multiple environmental violations.
They subsequently ordered a halt to all activities at the site and cordoned it off. Despite these measures, reports in
Brazilian media claimed that Neymar still held a party at the property and even took a dip in the lake.
At present, Neymar is recovering from surgery on his right ankle, which he underwent in Doha back in March.
He has not played since February, and there are now doubts about his future with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), his current team.
Neymar acquired the Mangaratiba mansion in 2016, and it boasts a sprawling 10,000 square meters (107,000 square feet) of land, along with a heliport, spa, and gym, according to Brazilian media.
