Mr. Toigos opposition had serious implications. "@type": "ListItem", background-color: #38a6c1; Mr. Ciccolini had fundraised for former federal Conservative cabinet minister Julian Fantino, and Masters brokered some of the surety bond contracts that Zurich is now saddled with as a result of Bondfields collapse. Ms. Divell, the Unity Health spokeswoman, declined to comment on the payments to Mr. Georgiou. .block-title > label, They also sometimes obtain a courts permission to execute civil search warrants on residences and businesses what is known as an Anton Piller order. An Ontario Superior Court judge found that those funds were illegitimately transferred to subcontractors for services that were never delivered. htmlTag.className += ' ieEdge'; Funding will go By Susanna McLeod The agency is investigating these troubling allegations, said spokeswoman Anne Marie Aikins. .td-menu-background:before, #bbpress-forums .bbp-body .super-sticky li.bbp-topic-title .bbp-topic-permalink, "item": { And with Mr. Georgiou in a position of influence, Bondfield had a clear edge. div.wpforms-container .wpforms-form div.wpforms-submit-container button[type=submit], The answer was yes. You can receive a daily update of certificates and notices published in Ontario Construction News, sent around 7:30 a.m. each morning. Report this profile Report Report. } .header-search-wrap .td-drop-down-search .btn:hover, .bbp_widget_login .button:hover, #cancel-comment-reply-link:hover, .wpb_default:hover, JOHN AQUINO colin.alves@colliers.com 416.626.1700 x 515 416.667.8422 Colliers International Bondfield Construction Company Member Type: Industrial Specialist Member Type: Associate Member. } Yet, on May 30, just nine days after submitting his bid, Mr. Aquino e-mailed his brother and father to let them know Bondfield had the lowest price: We are low on St. Mikes.. In the e-mail exchanges shown at top, a Bondfield staffer tells Mr. Aquino he has found turf for the backyard at Mr. Georgious Toronto home, at bottom right in satellite view, with the house at street view at bottom left.Photos: Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail, Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, i-cubed, USDA FSA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS User Community. .vc_tta-container .vc_tta-color-grey.vc_tta-tabs-position-top.vc_tta-style-classic .vc_tta-tabs-container .vc_tta-tab.vc_active > a, var td_email_user_incorrect="Email or username incorrect! John Aquino has stepped down and been replaced by his brother Steve Aquino, formerly vice-president of operations. He said bousta was reference to a commission that Mr. Georgiou would earn as an adviser on the casino deal. font-family:"Work Sans"; var tdb_modal_cancel="Cancel"; Sign up today. .block-title > a, this.post_count = 0; //from wp On Jan. 29, 2013 just a few weeks after Mr. Georgiou started his new job at the hospital a Bondfield employee e-mailed Mr. Aquino to tell him he was working on the companys submission. After Mr. Georgiou joined the hospital, the first hurdle Bondfield had to clear was the Request for Qualifications, or RFQ. Special to Ontario Construction News 0 0 805 All Time 0. .wpb_default, box-shadow: 0 4px 26px #38a6c1; Bondfield's financing for St. Michael's project meant it wouldn't receive any taxpayer support from the public-private partnership until after the patient-care tower was finished. As The Globe has reported previously, the SFO is also investigating alleged corruption at Torontos St. Michaels Hospital, which, in partnership with Infrastructure Ontario, selected Bondfield in 2014 to lead its $300-million redevelopment. googletag.enableServices(); For its part, Bondfield produced 56 records. On Sept. 25, the company disseminated a statement, calling The Globes reporting false allegations. The Ontario General Contractors Association, which Mr. Aquino had recently chaired at the time, reprinted Bondfields statement, and encouraged its members to refrain from commenting on the allegations in the media. In the end, both agencies agreed to hire a third-party engineering consultant to review Bondfields bid. John Aquino talks on the phone in his SUV last April outside Bondfield's office in Vaughan. .td-right-smart-list:hover, John Aquino, the former chief executive officer of Bondfield Construction Co. Ltd., was a domineering boss who was used to getting his way. After The Globe published a story on Sept. 24, 2015, outlining how Mr. Georgiou had been working on Mr. Aquinos commercial buildings at the same time he was evaluating bidders for the project, Mr. OBrien sprang into action. } The evaluators gave the company a design score of 70.74 per cent only a hair above the 70-per-cent threshold for disqualification. Michael Keen, who is now vice-president of facilities at St. Michaels, but at the time was one of the evaluators, was also questioned by Zurichs lawyers. var tds_more_articles_on_post_time_to_wait=""; Yesterday arrived from Edenton the Sloop Sally Cap Norton which place he left the 6th June. border-color: #38a6c1 !important; Mark Buckshon, Publisher, Ontario Construction News. "; Mr. Georgiou exploited his position to influence the direction of the evaluation, the company said in its pleadings. .td_block_template_14 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, .comment-reply-link:hover, data: {}, .td-author-url a:hover, Zurich found scores of internal Bondfield documents with notations such as owe Vas $500,000 allegedly showing Mr. Georgiou received multiple benefits from Bondfield before, during and after the St. Michaels procurement. John Aquino, the former chief executive officer of Bondfield, is seen in his SUV outside Bondfields office in Vaughan, Ont., on April 20, 2020.Cole Burston/The Globe and Mail. EllisDons design was considered non-compliant and it was disqualified. .tds-button6 .tdm-btn-text, Bondfield's financing for St. Michael's project meant it wouldn't receive any taxpayer support from the public-private partnership until after the patient-care tower was finished.Cole Burston/The Globe and Mail. This article was published more than 1 year ago. Some information may no longer be current. exist: function (resource_id) { .tdm_block_pricing .tdm-pricing-feature i, Andy Pattenden confirmed in an email to Ontario Construction News (OCN) on Monday. var tdBlocksArray = []; //here we store all the items for the current page .td_block_template_11 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, Six days later, he e-mailed Mr. Aquino again: After further thought you may want to rag the puck for a bit and slow things down against the Globe. Her extensive experience as a . Andy Pattenden confirmed in an email to Ontario Construction News (OCN) on Monday. .td_block_wrap .td-subcat-item a.td-cur-simple-item { The articles described an undisclosed commercial connection between the company's top executive, John Aquino, and a senior hospital executive, Vas Georgiou, who the paper said had admitted in. background-color: #38a6c1; border-color: transparent transparent #38a6c1 transparent; Infrastructure Ontario launched an investigation of his dealings with Vas Georgiou. When asked by Zurichs lawyers how he had such detailed information about a confidential meeting only a day after the argument, Mr. Aquino said he couldnt recall precisely who told him. Mr. Aquino sits in his SUV at the Bondfield office last October. border-color: #38a6c1; The monitor and . Again, like I said, I dont even necessarily believe that it was true.. .page-nav:first-child > div, color: #38a6c1; To end the impasse, Infrastructure Ontario and St. Michaels took unprecedented steps, with the CEOs of both agencies exchanging e-mails and involving their boards. In the e-mail exchanges shown at top, a Bondfield staffer tells Mr. Aquino he has found turf for the backyard at Mr. Georgious Toronto home, at bottom right in satellite view, with the house at street view at bottom left. When The Globe published more stories, including a piece about both mens ties to GP8 Sportwater, Bondfield sued over those as well. var td_pass_empty="Pass empty! Neither disclosed these conflicts of interest in declarations they were required to fill out at the start of the St. Michaels procurement. a.vc_btn-black.vc_btn_square_outlined:hover, Mr. Aquino was Bondfield's CEO when it won the St. Michael's contract in 2015.Cole Burston/The Globe and Mail. Despite Bondfields failure to produce the e-mails, The Globe was successful in quashing the suit in Ontario Superior Court in 2018. SafetyCo Partners, a new national occupational health and safety company, aims to change the face of safety consulting in Canada Mark Buckshon has published regional construction news publications in Ontario since 1989. When Mr. Georgiou was examined under oath, his lawyers declined to allow him to answer any questions about the work Bondfield performed with one exception. .td_block_template_8 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, #bbpress-forums li.bbp-header .bbp-reply-content span a:hover, In making the award, the court concluded that "the looting of Bondfield by its CEO, John Aquino, and the other Bondfield Respondents to the tune of tens of millions of dollars rises to the level of reprehensible and scandalous behaviour that attracts the sanction of substantial indemnity costs." _____ He is quitting?. Speak Bay Street not Calabrese.. But Zurich alleges other e-mails show Mr. Georgiou was indeed trying to obtain some kind of compensation for Mr. Mendonca. .td-weather-week:before, On Dec. 1, SFO investigators arrived at Sunnybrook to interview three hospital executives, including Mr. Marafioti, about its procurement policies. The articles addressed the connection between the appellant and its president, John Aquino, with Vas Georgiou, a senior executive at SMH who was on the committee that awarded the construction contract to the appellant. .td-trending-now-wrapper:hover .td-trending-now-title, body .td_top_authors .td-active .td-authors-name a, #td-mobile-nav .td-menu-login-section a:hover, On June 18, 2018, Zurich advised that it would be winding down the Bondfield Group. var td_ad_background_click_target=""; .tds-button5:hover i, "use strict"; In the middle of all of this, after a 10-month investigation, a special committee of Infrastructure Ontarios board issued the results of its investigation into Mr. Georgiou and Mr. Aquino. The charges include allegations that Aquino assaulted and threatened to kill some of the companys employees and co-owners. As part of the lawsuit, both The Globe and Bondfield were required to produce all documents relevant to the court case. .td_block_template_1 .td-related-title, .td-theme-slider:hover .slide-meta-cat a, "@id": "https://www.ontarioconstructionnews.com/york-regional-police-charge-former-bondfield-ceo-john-aquino-with-assault-uttering-threats-globe-and-mail/", That phase is designed to narrow the potential bidders down to a shortlist of the three top candidates. Mr. Aquino was fired from Bondfield in 2018 by his younger brother Steven Aquino, who supplanted him as president. The top two floors remain under construction, Ms. Divell said. Architect Ontario Construction News staff writer But without Mr. Toigos support, the contract couldnt be awarded. You will receive an email to confirm your subscription, just to be sure this is your email address. .widget_display_topics .bbp-author-name, body .td_block_list_menu li.current-menu-item > a, Not long after, The Globe determined that, a year before Mr. Georgiou was hired at St. Michaels, he had been fired from Infrastructure Ontario after he was implicated in a fraud at Torontos York University. .td_block_template_9 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, .block-title > span, Lawyers for Mr. Aquino and Mr. Georgiou said it would be inappropriate for them to comment while the matter is before the courts. this.td_filter_value = ''; //current live filter value Zurich is suing Mr. Aquino and Mr. Georgiou, as well as Unity Health Toronto, the hospital network that includes St. Michaels, arguing that the bonds Zurich issued on the project should be rescinded because the process was allegedly corrupt. var td_ad_background_click_link=""; Click here to leave a comment! Mr. Aquino, Mr. Georgiou and Unity Health opposed the disclosure. .vc_tta-container .vc_tta-color-grey.vc_tta-tabs-position-top.vc_tta-style-classic .vc_tta-tabs-container .vc_tta-tab:hover > a, .td_shadow_btn, The Globe is not naming these sources because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the procurement. background-color: #38a6c1; Despite being terminated with cause the result of which was supposed to be the full termination of all of his compensation Mr. Georgiou received his full salary for another 18 months. As far as your story goes, I wont provide any information on the victims, in order to protect them, Pattenden wrote to OCN. .td_block_template_15 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.gradient( startColorstr='rgba(0,0,0,0.8)', endColorstr='rgba(0,0,0,0.7)', GradientType=0 ); Copyright Of The Record 2020 All rights reserved. })(); (1979) as Deputy Sheriff .td-404-sub-sub-title a:hover, font-size:13px; (1979). Have the Top Business Headlines newsletter conveniently delivered to your inbox in the morning or evening. Workplace safety and health will continue to evolve, and the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) will continue to connect you with industry expertise, a network of like-minded peers and the latest innovations. border-color: #38a6c1 transparent transparent transparent !important; .td-post-small-box a:hover, In 2020, Mr. Aquino was examined by lawyers for Zurich, and a transcript was part of the court filings unsealed at the request of The Globe. He has not been charged with a criminal offence, and he did not respond to a request for comment. tdLocalCache.data[resource_id] = cachedData; After Mr. Georgiou was dismissed from St. Michaels, and he resumed using his bondfield.com e-mail address, the two men exchanged many e-mails about strategy, including how to proceed with their lawsuits. Mark can be reached at. .archive .widget_archive .current, Vas Georgiou, top, and John Aquino, bottom. var td_magnific_popup_translation_tCounter="%curr% of %total%"; It is the first major test of the capabilities of the SFO, which was created in 2018 in response to criticism that law enforcement has struggled to properly investigate and prosecute complex white-collar crime. htmlTag.className += ' ie11'; } .td-subfooter-menu li a:hover, this.td_current_page = 1; // John Aquino, the former chief executive officer of Bondfield Construction Co. Ltd., was a domineering boss who was used to getting his way. So I think I gave him a panettone, and some wine, maybe a cognac bottle, thats about it. Infrastructure Ontario signs hang on the construction hoarding outside St. Michael's in 2018.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail. } Alessandra.Aquino@aquicon.com. if( -1 !== navigator.userAgent.indexOf('IEMobile') ){ Follow Greg McArthur on Twitter: @McarthurGregOpens in a new windowFollow Karen Howlett on Twitter: @kahowlettOpens in a new window. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; .tds-button2 .tdm-btn-text, var tdb_modal_cancel_alt="No"; But the e-mails uncovered by Zurich show he was not deterred. The two men also believed, the e-mails show, they still had a key asset safely in place within the hospital. On Nov. 12, 2015, St. Michaels fired Mr. Georgiou for cause. .td_block_template_5 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, htmlTag.className += ' td-md-is-firefox'; font-family:"Work Sans"; .td_module_wrap:hover .entry-title a, .td-trending-now-wrapper:hover .td-trending-now-title, .td-weather-information:before, If the insurance giant is successful, it raises questions about who will ultimately pay for the redevelopment, which is 3 years behind schedule and has left the hospital with an unfinished project in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. .td-rating-bar-wrap div, ] .td-grid-style-4 .entry-title Known for movies Blow Out (1981) as Detective Mackey Diner (1982) as Tank .and justice for all. In the e-mail, Mr. Aquino directed a Bondfield staffer to charge the work on Mr. Georgious home to Pick Go. This is a reference to a parking garage Bondfield was building at the time at a Pickering, Ont., GO Transit station, Zurich alleges. var tdb_modal_confirm_alt="Yes"; .td-theme-wrap .sf-menu ul .td-menu-item > a:hover, That morning, The Globe and Mail had published the first of a series of stories about Mr. Aquinos friend, Vas Georgiou, the second-in-command at Torontos St. Michaels Hospital. A pedestrian passes the St. Michael's Hospital emergency entrance this past fall. Winning the St. Michaels contract would elevate the company into the big leagues with rivals EllisDon and PCL Construction. In the meantime, our focus will remain on what has been our priority for more than 130 years and what matters even more right now caring for those who need us most during this unprecedented pandemic, she said. In its summary of key findings, the special committee declared that the procurement was not compromised. .td_block_template_15 .td-block-title:before, "; Michaels Hospital procurement was not compromised.. John received a BS degree from University of Chicago and a MBA from University of . The corruption investigation into Bondfield Construction Co. Ltd., once one of the largest builders of public sector projects in Ontario, has widened to include its contracts with a second Toronto hospital, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. var td_email_user_empty="Email or username empty! That was a conflict of interest neither man disclosed. this.header_color = ''; a.vc_btn-black:hover, By 2016, the project was already falling into disarray. } Bondfield, now insolvent, grew rapidly in the middle of the last decade. .tds-progress-bar1 .tdm-progress-bar:after, .td-theme-wrap .sf-menu ul .sfHover > a, { .td-smart-list-dropdown-wrap .td-smart-list-button:hover, if ( -1 !== navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Mac OS X') ) { Mr. Aquino made good on his promise to hire a libel lawyer, though, turning to one of Canadas premier law firms, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. After the bids were submitted, the details of each were supposed to be confidential. For its part, Zurich said, through its lawyer, that it disagreed with that assertion. John Aquino is a Manager, Network at KPMG based in London, Greater London. Save the date for our 62nd annual Conference and Expo. .td-smart-list-button:hover, .td_block_template_12 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. -webkit-box-shadow: 0 4px 26px #38a6c1; The author of the letters, which were unsigned, urged the reporters to look into the many ties between Mr. Georgiou and Mr. Aquino, and the awarding of the St. Michaels contract. var tdBlockNonce="0e942a88e7"; Bondfield, represented by the team at Osler, filed a notice of libel and later launched a $125-million defamation lawsuit against The Globe, its publisher and three Globe reporters. John Aquino talks on the phone in his SUV last April outside Bondfield's office in Vaughan. this.td_user_action = ''; // load more or infinite loader (used by the animation) He and other Corebuild employees have not been accused of wrong-doing, and he and his colleagues have co-operated with police and financial investigations into the former Bondfield operations. Bondfield, a mid-sized, family-owned construction company, was making a push to join the ranks of Ontarios biggest players in public infrastructure. Infrastructure Ontario launched an investigation of his dealings with Vas Georgiou.Cole Burston/The Globe and Mail. }); Mr. Mendonca, who also came to the hospital from Infrastructure Ontario, was to report to Mr. Georgiou and help oversee the project. }, In March, Justice Bernadette Dietrich ruled that many of those payments, but not all, were transfers under value which means they were made for the purpose of defrauding or evading creditors. St. Michael's Hospital in 2015, the year that Bondfield Construction Co. Ltd. won a contract to manage a major redevelopment there. This barely satisfactory score was not good enough for one of the Infrastructure Ontario officials on the steering committee. body .td_block_list_menu li.current-menu-ancestor > a, On March 14, 2016, Mr. Aquino sought an audience with the leadership of the hospital, and was coached by Mr. Georgiou on his approach. EllisDon celebrates a major milestone with the grand opening of the Ken and Marilyn Thomson Patient Care Centre at Michael Ontario Construction News staff writer .header-search-wrap .td-drop-down-search:before { -moz-box-shadow: 0 4px 26px #38a6c1; Vas Georgiou was chief administrative officer of St. Michaels Hospital from 2013 to 2015, and John Aquino was CEO of Bondfield Construction Co. Ltd. when it won the coveted contract to create Canadas premier critical-care centre in 2015 a $300-million project that is mired in protracted delays. background-color: #38a6c1; "@type": "BreadcrumbList", reported that the Bondfield Group had a cash flow concern. We will be ok. Asked by Zurichs lawyers what he was doing with Mr. Georgiou so late at night, Mr. Aquino replied, Maybe having a cigar.. The Globe published a story on Sept. 15, 2015 about Mr. Georgious role in the fraud. { The only problem that September day was that Bondfields go-to IT official, Benny Weinstock, was off for Rosh Hashanah and was prohibited, religiously, from working until the two-day celebration ended at sundown. As for the project itself, St. Michaels has opened six floors of the new tower for patient care, as well as a COVID-19 vaccination clinic. font-weight:500; *rv\:11\./) ) { TLDR: Zurich has ceased to fund construction. Only Infrastructure Ontario knew those figures, and even he hadnt been told at that point, he said. A bousta, or busta, is an Italian slang term often used to describe cash in an envelope. input[type=submit]:hover, That same 2013 e-mail also raises questions about who was ultimately paying for the work on Mr. Georgious home. If not for this change in scores, Bondfield would not have been qualified.. Experience CFO Bondfield Construction Company Limited . Mr. Georgious lawyer said her client denies any wrongdoing. The newspaper reported police allege that when Steven Aquino informed John Aquino he was being terminated from his position, John Aquino threw hot coffee on his brother. .tdm_block_pricing.tdm-pricing-featured:before, Omitted from Bondfields records were, of course, the 5,000 e-mails that had been destroyed, Mr. Aquinos e-mails to Mr. Weinstock and the e-mails in which Mr. Aquino outlined plans to attack Globe and get the story crushed.. } #bbpress-forums .bbp-pagination .current, Osler complied with the order, and determined it had no records mentioning Mr. Georgious secret e-mail address, the firms spokesperson, Judy Stein-Korte, said in the statement. googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); Mr. Aquino did not specify when the work began, but suggested it started while Mr. Georgiou was a senior executive at Infrastructure Ontario the procurement agency that had awarded Bondfield several contracts, including multiple hospital projects and some of the facilities for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. This is not entirely accurate. .page .td_quote_box, .tds-progress-bar3 .tdm-progress-bar:after { The hospital believed it had just the man for the job an executive with a background in health care and construction. Zurich alleges the unsealed evidence shows: Mr. Georgiou funnelled confidential information to Bondfield throughout the bidding process. Mr. MacNaughton was named Canadas ambassador to the United States in March, 2016. The Pickering parking garage contract was awarded on a lump-sum basis, and therefore, any extra costs should be born by Bondfield, not Metrolinx, Ms. Aikins said. 1. "position": 2, } border-color: #38a6c1; "name": "Around the province" Tel: 905-458-1313 ext. For the preceding two years, Mr. Aquino and Mr. Georgiou had been exchanging secret e-mails on a BlackBerry provided by Mr. Aquino e-mails about Bondfields successful pursuit of a $300-million contract to redevelop the hospital. .td-author-name a:hover, var tds_header_style=""; The problem was that neither company, both of which were owned by Mr. Georgious family, had actually performed any work. In a 2017 e-mail, he urged Mr. Aquino to get something for Michael Mendonca, the hospitals vice-president of the redevelopment, and who was recruited to the hospital by Mr. Georgiou. .widgettitle:after, Now, a recently established investigative agency of police officers and prosecutors, Ontarios Serious Fraud Office, has launched a sweeping probe into Mr. Aquino, Mr. Georgiou and the procurement. .tds-button6 i, Those bonds are insurance-like contracts that were supposed to act as a safety net for the project, and required Zurich to foot the bill in the event Bondfield faltered.
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