Authorities in Brazil announced Monday that a prosecutor fined soccer star Neymar 16 million reais ($3.3 million) for developing a lake at his residence on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro without an environmental license.
The Mangaratiba town council fined four people for “environmental violations in the construction of an artificial lake at the player’s mansion,” according to the council secretariat.
“The sanctions total more than 16 million reais,” the statement added, referring to the amount imposed by the prosecutor’s office in Mangaratiba, a tourist resort about 130 kilometers (80 miles) from Rio where the Paris Saint-Germain star has a house.
Among the “dozens of infractions” discovered were “carrying out work subject to environmental control without authorization,” “capturing and diversion of river water without authorization,” and “removal of land and suppression of vegetation without authorization.”
Neymar has 20 days to appeal the penalty, which was initially set at five million reais (about one million USD).
Authorities discovered many environmental infractions at the luxury property, where workers were constructing an artificial lake and beach, on June 22 after receiving complaints based on social media posts.
Authorities fenced off the area and ordered all activities to halt, but Brazilian media said that Neymar staged a party and had a swim in the lake there.
The striker has not featured since February, and his future at PSG has been called into question.
Neymar bought the Mangaratiba mansion in 2016. According to Brazilian media, it sits on 10,000 square meters (107,000 square feet) of land and features a heliport, spa, and gym.