Brazil charges Neymar with tax evasion and forgery

Brazil's public prosecution office charged Barcelona and Brazil striker Neymar with tax evasion and forgery on Tuesday.The office made a written statement accusing Neymar, his father current Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu and his predecessor Sandro Rosell of evading taxes and misrepresentation in order to, "abolish taxes owed to the IRS of Brazil".The office confirmed the complaint had been filed in federal court.
The prosecution's case centres around the use of companies linked to Neymar's family allegedly committing fraud from as early as 2006, in contracts related to the use of Neymar's image rights while playing for his Brazilian club Santos as well as irregularities in the Brazil international's transfer to Barcelona in 2013.

The state prosecution office alleges the companies were paid for services carried out exclusively by Neymar to reduce the amount of tax paid.

This is the first time the Brazilian state prosecutors have commented on Neymar since, in January 2014, it announced it would investigate his transfer to Barcelona.

Neymar appeared in Spanish court earlier on Tuesday to give testimony in a separate case concerning allegations of fraud brought by Brazilian investment fund DIS in relation to his switch from Santos to the Camp Nou.

No formal charges have been brought in the latter investigation.

Neymar's form on the field has not been affected by the legal questions off it, having scored 21 times in 27 Barcelona appearances this season.