Brazil charges Barca star Neymar with tax evasion

PanARMENIAN.Net - Barcelona and Brazil's star striker Neymar suffered a fresh legal blow Tuesday, February 2 when Brazilian prosecutors filed a tax fraud and forgery case against him, AFP reports.

The 23-year-old and his family have denied any wrongdoing over alleged irregularities in his superstar signing for Barcelona in 2013.

But hours after he gave testimony in Spain in one case, a new front opened up as federal prosecutors in Brazil launched proceedings against him and his father.

Investigators in both countries suspect Neymar's family and the club hid the real value of the deal under which Barcelona signed him from Brazilian side Santos.

Barcelona valued the transfer at about 57 million euros ($62 million), but Spanish authorities think it added up to more than 83 million euros.

Brazil's federal prosecution service accused the player, full name Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, and his father of forging contracts to pay less tax.

It made the same accusations against his father and two senior FC Barcelona management figures: the club's current president Josep Maria Bartomeu and his predecessor Sandro Rosell.

A federal court must now decide whether to admit the charges and put them on trial.