Footballer Neymar fined $3.3m for building artificial lake

A Brazilian magistrate has fined football star Neymar $3.3 million for building an artificial lake at his suburban Rio de Janeiro mansion without an environmental permit, authorities said on Monday.

The Mangaratiba city council imposed four fines for “environmental violations in the construction of an artificial lake in the player’s mansion”, the council secretariat said in a statement.

Among the dozens of offences identified, authorities cited “the execution of works subject to environmental control without authorization”, the capture and diversion of river water without authorization, and “the removal of land and the removal of vegetation without permission”.

On June 22, following complaints on social media, authorities found several environmental violations at the luxury property, where workers were building an artificial lake and beach.

Authorities closed the site and ordered a halt to all activity, but Brazilian media reported that Neymar held a party there and bathed in the lake.