Brazil’s Neymar fined in $3.3 million for illegal artificial lake at mansion outside Rio

Sao Paulo:  Brazilian soccer star Neymar was fined more than $3.3 million for violating local environmental rules during renovations at his mansion in the city of Mangaratiba outside Rio de Janeiro.

The Mangaratiba city hall said in a statement Monday night it had issued four fines totalling about 16 million Brazilian reals after Neymar was accused of illegally building an artificial lake at his mansion.

 “Among the dozens of infractions that were noticed at the player’s property are the start of an unauthorized construction which requires environmental control; capture of a river course and detouring it without authorization; moving rock and sand; supressing vegetation without authorization and non-compliance of an embargo,” the statement said.

A spokesperson for the 31-year-old Neymar declined to comment on the issue after a request from The Associated Press. The Paris Saint-Germain striker can appeal the decision, which will be handed to police for possible prosecution.

The company that built the artificial lake, Genesis Ecossistemas, celebrated the 10-day job for Neymar in its social media channels. It said the lake is 1,000 square meters (10,764 square feet).