After creating an artificial lake, Brazilian Neymar narrowly escapes a three million dollar fine

Neymar échappe à une amende de trois millions de dollars pour infractions environnementales. HOCH ZWEI – HOCH ZWEI

Un tribunal brésilien a suspendu l’amende du footballeur Neymar qui s’élevait à trois millions de dollars, à la suite de la création d’un lac artificiel.

A Brazilian court has suspended a fine of some three million dollars imposed on world soccer star Neymar for creating an artificial lake at his Rio de Janeiro estate without a permit.

The ruling, dated Monday and obtained by AFP on Wednesday, comes from judge Adriana Ramos de Mello and cites a report from state environmental authority INEA saying that the project actually did not require any environmental permit.

"Significant, disproportionate and even illegal harm"

"As the fines requested were in the millions of dollars, continue to demand" payment "will inflict significant, disproportionate and even illegal harm" to the attacker of the Saudi club Al-Hilal, declared the magistrate.

The Mangaratiba city council ordered the Brazilian player to pay four fines, for a total of 16 million Brazilian reais ($3.3 million) for & ;quot;environmental violations" related to "the construction of an artificial lake in the player's mansion" some 130 kilometers away from Rio.

Among the "dozens of infractions" noted, the 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 authorization".

A plot of land of 10,000 square meters

The judge, however, sided with the INEA's findings, saying in her decision that an inspection "confirmed that no (environmental) permit is necessary for such activities" and therefore that the offenses alleged against Neymar " were not (characterized)".

The Brazilian footballer bought a mansion in Mangaratiba, a tourist area in the suburbs of Rio, in 2016, on a plot of 10,000 square meters including a helipad, a spa and even a gym. sport.