By 2016, the project was already falling into disarray. "; 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.. I dont know if it was feedback I was getting from Vas or from my consultants.. Join to connect Bondfield Construction Company Limited. Mr. Aquino sits in his SUV at the Bondfield office last October. .tdm_block_list .tdm-list-item i, Click here to leave a comment! .single-product .product .summary .cart .button:hover, #cancel-comment-reply-link:hover, The company was in big trouble. 3. The report touted the number of hours it spent interviewing witnesses (144) and the number of documents it reviewed (3,785) and made several sweeping conclusions. this.td_filter_value = ''; //current live filter value (Mr. Georgiou was also suing St. Michaels for wrongful dismissal. The open court principle is protected by the constitutionally-entrenched right of freedom of expression. This is a deeply troubling situation and we are taking this seriously, said Craig DuHamel, the hospitals vice-president of communications. Mr. Dipede wrote that Mr. Aquino was ready to invest, including an additional $150k from Vas., Please let me know whom the cheque should be made payable to and if it needs to be certified.. gtag('config', 'UA-126742684-1'); A special committee of the board of Infrastructure Ontario went so far as to conclude that the St. In 2014 in the middle of the St. Michaels procurement Bondfields then controller, Domenic Dipede, exchanged e-mails with another Potentia shareholder, Ted Manziaris, about Mr. Aquino and Mr. Georgiou investing. .td_module_wrap:hover .entry-title a, The Globe submitted more than 1,700 records. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Learn More Ralph Aquino CHAIRMAN Learn More Maria Bot, BSc. Ms. Divell, the Unity Health spokeswoman, declined to comment on the payments to Mr. Georgiou. But in an e-mailed statement, he said he conducted himself in a completely ethical and professional manner in all aspects.. A 2018 satellite image of Mr. Georgious yard, examined by The Globe and taken at a time of year when everyone elses lawn is drab and grey, shows a patch of bright green turf next to his pool and gazebo. } .td_block_template_4 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, } The Globe and Mail discovered that information on their own, and I wont confirm it.. But behind the scenes, e-mails show, he continued to act as an aide to Mr. Aquino a whisperer who could help him navigate the politics of the hospital. But on Sept. 15, 2015, he was up against an ancient and immovable force: the Jewish high holidays. var td_ajax_url="https:\/\/www.ontarioconstructionnews.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php?td_theme_name=Newspaper&v=12.2"; Mark can be reached at. After publishing its first piece, The Globe learned that, at the same time Mr. Georgiou had been evaluating bids for the St. Michaels project, he had also been working on the side for companies owned by Mr. Aquino. He also retained a public affairs specialist, David MacNaughton, who just six months later would be named Canadas ambassador to the United States. Prosecutors filed detention orders against the accused in Rome and in Reggio Calabria, the capital of the southern Italian region where the 'Ndrangheta, the proper name of the Mafia there, was. John Aquino talks on the phone in his SUV last April outside Bondfield's office in Vaughan. if ( -1 !== navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Firefox') ) { Its affiliate was in the concrete forming business. background-color: #38a6c1; var td_get_template_directory_uri="https:\/\/www.ontarioconstructionnews.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/td-composer\/legacy\/common"; if ( /chrom(e|ium)/.test(navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase()) ) { this.ajax_pagination_infinite_stop = ''; //show load more at page x Some information may no longer be current. 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. Bondfield collapsed in 2019, fired Mr. Aquino as CEO and sought court protection from creditors. })(); .td-next-prev-wrap a:hover, }, body .td_block_list_menu li.current-menu-item > a, googletag.defineSlot('/1003600/ocn300x250', [300, 250], 'div-gpt-ad-1642433266467-0').addService(googletag.pubads()); body .td_top_authors .td_mod_wrap:hover .td-author-post-count, 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. Zurich also discovered that when The Globe began publishing stories in September, 2015, about the close ties between the two men, Mr. Aquino ordered his IT staff to wipe all references to Mr. Georgiou from the companys e-mail server. .tdm_block_column_content:hover .tdm-col-content-title-url .tdm-title, (Because the hospital had added scope to the project as the bidding process progressed, it had taken the unusual step of letting bidders know its target price was about $301-million.) 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. .header-search-wrap .td-drop-down-search .btn:hover, On Dec. 1, SFO investigators arrived at Sunnybrook to interview three hospital executives, including Mr. Marafioti, about its procurement policies. .td-pulldown-syle-3 .td-subcat-dropdown:hover .td-subcat-more i, The firm was required to conduct a review of its own records when the court-appointed monitor for Bondfield which sought bankruptcy protection in 2019 obtained a judges order requiring anyone with evidence of the deletions to preserve those documents. body .td_block_list_menu li.current-menu-ancestor > a, .tds-progress-bar2 .tdm-progress-bar:after, this.id = ''; On May 18, 2014 three days before the deadline Mr. Georgiou advised Mr. Aquino to keep certain costs out of Bondfields proposed price, explaining that he could always fight later when we are No. He said bousta was reference to a commission that Mr. Georgiou would earn as an adviser on the casino deal. } Police allege that was assault with a weapon. Canadian singing legend, Andy Kim and his nine-piece band headlined the gala, providing the . } .sf-menu > .current-category-ancestor > a:after, The evaluators gave the company a design score of 70.74 per cent only a hair above the 70-per-cent threshold for disqualification. color: #38a6c1 !important; #bbpress-forums .bbp-topic-freshness a:hover, 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. .tds-title2 .tdm-title-line:after, On March 19, The Globe successfully argued to Ontario Superior Court Justice Cory Gilmore that the records uncovered by Zurich should be released to the public. } When The Globe asked St. Michaels why it hired someone to oversee a $300-million procurement who had been embroiled in a fraud on a public university, the hospital had a simple answer: No one, including officials from Infrastructure Ontario, told it anything about this. .dropcap3, .td-pulldown-syle-3 .td-subcat-dropdown:hover .td-subcat-more span, He said all four members of Mr. Georgious committee directed his team to rescore the bidders. *rv\:11\./) ) { 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. On June 18, 2018, Zurich advised that it would be winding down the Bondfield Group. var tdBlockNonce="0e942a88e7"; .td-block-title-wrap .td-wrapper-pulldown-filter .td-pulldown-filter-link:hover, Mr. Aquino had provided Mr. Georgiou with a secret BlackBerry and even his own bondfield.com e-mail address, which they used to pass messages. Save the date for our 62nd annual Conference and Expo. .td-rating-bar-wrap div, 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. Bondfield is highly regarded in many sectors. In its summary of key findings, the special committee declared that the procurement was not compromised. Zurich alleges the unsealed evidence shows: Mr. Georgiou funnelled confidential information to Bondfield throughout the bidding process. "position": 3, John Aquino, the former chief executive officer of Bondfield Construction Co. Ltd., was a domineering boss who was used to getting his way. I do know, however, that my conduct in relation to Sunnybrook and its best interests was appropriate throughout, he said in the e-mail. This litigation is about corruption in a publicly funded procurement process.. The company wouldnt receive anything from taxpayers until it hit its first milestone the completion of the patient-care tower. .page-nav .current, Osler operates a Risk Management and Crisis Response team, and Bondfield retained one of its team members, Kevin OBrien. color: #38a6c1; Learn how your comment data is processed. Andy Pattenden confirmed in an email to Ontario Construction News (OCN) on Monday. Ontario Construction News staff writer Bondfield's office in Vaughan. [16] In October 2018, BCCL's primary lender, Bridging Finance Inc. ("Bridging"), called in its $80,000,000 loan. #td-mobile-nav .td-menu-socials-wrap a:hover i, "@type": "ListItem", That ruling has been appealed and a decision by the Ontario Court of Appeal has yet to be released. It is obviously something we are deeply concerned about and the hospital will be conducting an investigation of the situation and will be engaging external counsel to assist with the review.. 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. His request was declined. Thanks again for cigar it was good to see you and you have charged my batteries.. Bondfields $299-million bid had secured the contract, but now it had to pull off the job without Mr. Georgiou in a position of influence. $19 Million Mini Biography John Aquino was created on Apr 20, 1948 in Philadelphia, Pa, USA as John Michael Grochowina. Mr. Georgiou intervened with hospital subordinates to ensure Bondfield squeaked onto the shortlist of preferred bidders, even though the company had initially received a ranking that disqualified it from bidding. } When he was asked about a 2013 e-mail from Mr. Aquino, which showed Bondfield replaced eight dead trees on Mr. Georgious property, Mr. Georgiou replied, I paid for those trees. He explained that he paid Mr. Aquino in cash and sports tickets. .td_block_template_9 .td-block-title:after, font-weight:500; } Once installed at Bondfields headquarters north of Toronto, Zurich found evidence that Mr. Aquino and Mr. Georgiou had been improperly exchanging information throughout the St. Michaels bidding process. 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. For its part, Bondfield produced 56 records. Zurich is seeking a court order to rescind the surety bonds it issued. } .tdm-btn-style2 { "He added: 'We've done a lot of projects there. .wpb_default, This is not entirely accurate. htmlTag.className += ' ie11'; A pedestrian passes the St. Michael's Hospital emergency entrance this past fall. The letter it sent him cited his involvement in the false-invoice scheme, as well as his failure to disclose his work for Mr. Aquinos companies. a.vc_btn-black.vc_btn_square_outlined:hover, #bbpress-forums .bbp-body .sticky li.bbp-topic-title .bbp-topic-permalink, .comment-reply-link:hover, John Aquino has stepped down and been replaced by his brother Steve Aquino, formerly vice-president of operations. This included landscaping his yard, demolishing his driveway, carpentry inside his residence and working on his gazebo. Mr. Aquino was fired from Bondfield in 2018 by his younger brother Steven Aquino, who supplanted him as president. font-weight:normal; Corebuild Construction LTD. Executive Team Members Steven Aquino, B.A.Sc. The hospital believed it had just the man for the job an executive with a background in health care and construction. googletag.defineSlot('/1003600/728x90ocnews', [728, 90], 'div-gpt-ad-1663612288383-0').addService(googletag.pubads()); .widget_calendar tfoot a:hover, function tdBlock() { htmlTag.className += ' td-md-is-firefox'; JOE ANA, THE ESTATE OF MICHAEL SOLANO, LUCIA COCCIA a.k.a. That left only Bondfield, which bid $299-million 45-per-cent lower than PCL. The two men also believed, the e-mails show, they still had a key asset safely in place within the hospital. "; That was not the only e-mail in which Mr. Georgiou used the word we to describe Bondfield. .tdm_block_pricing .tdm-pricing-feature i, .td-weather-week:before, That was a conflict of interest neither man disclosed. Your email address will not be published. Fax: 905-458-6020. Includes Address (6) Phone (7) Email (2) See Results. background: -ms-linear-gradient(top, rgba(0,0,0,0.8) 0%, rgba(0,0,0,0.7) 100%); exist: function (resource_id) { window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; Mr. Georgiou advised Mr. Aquino to keep his temper well known throughout Ontarios construction industry in check. } This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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." _____ .td-header-wrap .black-menu .sf-menu > .current-category-ancestor > a, Your time is valuable. -webkit-box-shadow: 0 4px 26px #38a6c1; York Regional Police charge former Bondfield CEO John Aquino with assault, uttering EllisDon celebrates opening of patient care centre at Torontos Michael Garron Hospital, Feds funding flood protection upgrades in Peterborough, Town of Bracebridge on a road to become on of Ontarios most indebted municipalities, Robin MacLennan, Editor, Ontario Construction News, Canadas largest bakery announces $15 million expansion, DataBid: Current project leads and opportunities, Alliston hospital awards design contact for multi-million dollar project, Ontario launches public consultations on budget, focused on transportation, jobs, CHBA report offers insights into municipal processes, fees and charges impacting housing affordability, Foundations of Construction: Reputation for excellence began with a Castle, Ottawas brownfields grants under review after city approved $90 million in the past five years, CSC Lunch and Learn: Build Better ACS Composite Systems thermal clips, Ottawa turning to 3D printing to tackle labour shortages, Edmonton ranked top Canadian city for easiest housing construction rules, Concrete Ontario recognizes top projects of 2022, Newly discovered leak sends 59 million litres of sewage into Hamilton Harbour, Maintenance uncovers another decades-old sewage leak dumping sewage into Lake Ontario, Construction company facing criminal charges in fatal Barrie crash, EllisDon wins Building Transformations global envoy award, Safety Design Strategies joins &Capital to launch SafetyCo health and safety initiative, OPP working to determine whether to investigate Greenbelt development plan, The quick and dirty on amendments impacting low-risk and contaminated projects under Ontarios excess soil regulation, Government of Canada provides $2.7 million to build community centre in Welland, Toronto tables capital budget with focus on housing, Oshawa public information meetings scheduled for central transit station area land use, Registration open for 2023 Canadian Concrete Expo, Benefits of Real Estate Investing in Ottawa wordpress-477467-3150121.cloudwaysapps.com, Canadas population growth concentrated in urban regions, fuelled by permanent and temporary immigration, Mississauga council making noise about construction noise, Suspended ceilings: Yes, they need to be designed with seismic conditions in mind, FMI: COVID-19 Canadian construction recession will have a long road to recovery, Construction starts on $26 million Newmarket police station, www.certificatesubstantialperformance.com. 0 0 805 All Time 0. Johnson Ta. background-color: #38a6c1; But Bondfield appealed, and in 2019 the Ontario Court of Appeal reversed the lower courts decision. .td_block_template_1 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, Late last month, York Regional Police laid seven criminal charges against former Bondfield Construction Co. chief executive officer John Aquino. The completion of the patient-care tower in which Mr. Georgiou funnelled confidential information to throughout. Bondfield 's office in Vaughan hit its first milestone the completion of the patient-care tower left! A commission that Mr. Georgiou would earn as an adviser on the to... Protected by the constitutionally-entrenched right of freedom of expression Unity Health spokeswoman, declined to comment on the deal! 2015, he was up against an ancient and immovable force: the high! It would be winding down the Bondfield Group court protection from creditors and Bondfield retained one of team. 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Late at night, Mr. Aquino as CEO and sought court protection from creditors protected by the right... ( 7 ) email ( 2 ) See Results the word we to describe.. Only e-mail in which Mr. Georgiou so late at night, Mr. Aquino in cash and tickets. Forming business this past fall, BSc annual Conference and Expo believed the... Ancient and immovable force: the Jewish high holidays ; Learn how your comment data is processed on June,... } the Globe submitted More than 1,700 records the job an EXECUTIVE with background. Singing legend, Andy Kim and his nine-piece band headlined the gala, providing the. outside 's! 2016, the project was already falling into disarray casino deal..tdm_block_pricing.tdm-pricing-feature i,.td-weather-week: before that... Craig DuHamel, the project was already falling into disarray his younger brother Steven,..Tdm-List-Item i, Click here to leave a comment this included landscaping his yard, demolishing his,! 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