Follow Greg McArthur on Twitter: @McarthurGregOpens in a new windowFollow Karen Howlett on Twitter: @kahowlettOpens in a new window. .td_block_template_16 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, .td-category-title-holder .td-page-title { Aquicon has grown exponentially since those early days, and now serves an array of sectors including recreation centres, multi-storey residential facilities, operation centres and post-secondary institutions. He was released with a next court date of Jan. 6, 2021, Pattenden wrote. .tds-progress-bar2 .tdm-progress-bar:after, this.td_column_number = ''; #bbpress-forums button:hover, .td-scroll-up, var td_email_user_pass_incorrect="User or password incorrect! I do know, however, that my conduct in relation to Sunnybrook and its best interests was appropriate throughout, he said in the e-mail. .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, background: -moz-linear-gradient(top, rgba(0,0,0,0.8) 0%, rgba(0,0,0,0.7) 100%); { Ontario Construction News is the province's first digital daily construction trade newspaper that complies with Ontario Construction Act regulations for publishing notices and certificates. .td_block_exchange .td-exchange-header:before, 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. 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. 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Toronto, the hospital network that includes St. Michaels, arguing that the bonds Zurich issued on the project should be rescinded because the process was allegedly corrupt. Ms. Divell, the Unity Health spokeswoman, declined to comment on the payments to Mr. Georgiou. border-color: #38a6c1; (Mr. Georgiou was also suing St. Michaels for wrongful dismissal. These are often referred to as SLAPP suits (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation). data: {}, The patient care tower at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto on Aug. 31, 2018. .sf-menu ul .menu-item a { }; .td_block_template_13 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, "@type": "ListItem", No one person could materially influence or direct the outcome of the procurement process, he has argued in court filings. Three days before the deadline for bids, Mr. Georgiou advises Mr. Aquino to keep certain costs out of Bondfields proposed price. } 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. Zurich, citing this alleged corruption, is seeking a court order rescinding the bonds it issued on the St. Michaels contract. They asked him if John Aquino had ever told him about any payments he had made to anyone involved in projects Bondfield was bidding on or had secured. color: #38a6c1; The panel of judges found that the construction companys suit did not have the classic characteristics improper motives, claims of phantom harm, and bullying tactics of a SLAPP suit. For his part, Mr. Georgiou denied, in his examination, having any interest whatsoever in the buildings. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. Last week, The Globe published a story about the unsealed records evidence that was compiled by Zurich Insurance Company Ltd., the multinational company that issued more than $1-billion in construction surety bonds to Bondfield. .td-pulldown-syle-3 .td-subcat-dropdown:hover .td-subcat-more span, var tds_more_articles_on_post_enable=""; tdLocalCache.data[resource_id] = cachedData; .tds-progress-bar1 .tdm-progress-bar:after, Earlier, he worked as a journalist and sub-editor, including a stint on the Bulawayo Chronicle in 1979-80, during the transition from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe. The monitor and . }, He didnt pay because he was a friend and a client, he said. Mr. Aquino was an owner of the company, and shortly after Mr. Georgious arrival at St. Michaels, the hospital installed two GP8 water vending machines. E-mails recovered by Zurich show Mr. Aquino took comfort that Mr. Georgiou was in place for the RFQ. Infrastructure Ontario signs hang on the construction hoarding outside St. Michael's in 2018.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail. } }); } "@id": "https://www.ontarioconstructionnews.com/", Bondfield is highly regarded in many sectors. var tdDateNamesI18n={"month_names":["January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],"month_names_short":["Jan","Feb","Mar","Apr","May","Jun","Jul","Aug","Sep","Oct","Nov","Dec"],"day_names":["Sunday","Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday","Friday","Saturday"],"day_names_short":["Sun","Mon","Tue","Wed","Thu","Fri","Sat"]}; Corebuild Construction LTD. Executive Team Members Steven Aquino, B.A.Sc. .bbp_widget_login .button:hover, .tds-button2:before, Mr. Aquino also wanted to know if his name showed up in any public records connected with a commercial building in Toronto. .wpb_default, 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 2011 to creating false invoices used in a kickback scheme at York University. background-color: #38a6c1; The bulk of that work was awarded during the hospitals redevelopment in the mid-2000s, when Bondfield expanded the emergency department and worked on several research labs. Lawyers for Mr. Aquino and Mr. Georgiou said it would be inappropriate for them to comment while the matter is before the courts. This backchannel was in contravention of numerous procurement rules, and if anyone discovered the e-mails, it would mean trouble for both men. -moz-box-shadow: 0 4px 26px #38a6c1; Domenic Dipede, Bondfield controller at the time, corresponds with a Potentia shareholder about Mr. Aquino and Mr. Georgiou investing in the solar company. } Do not get upset or angry, he wrote. John Aquino talks on the phone in his SUV last April outside Bondfield's office in Vaughan. That didnt stop Mr. Aquino. border-color: #38a6c1; See You Next Year. If they take a large loss funding construction, that is the risk of doing this type of business. The mass deletion of those estimated 5,000 e-mails, however, did not capture every mention of Mr. Georgiou. background-color: #38a6c1; This litigation is about corruption in a publicly funded procurement process.. Sam Ciccolini, one of the founders of Masters Insurance Ltd. and a prominent Conservative party backer in Vaughan, responded to the e-mailed statement: I think a legal action should be filed against the Globe and let them know that the Aquinos are no pushovers and the Ciccolinis will be right beside them to help.. Since then, John Aquino has emerged as a central figure in the fallout from Bondfields collapse. Mr. Aquino told Mr. Georgiou: Your (sic) going to get a bousta if can make this deal.. .sf-menu > li:hover > a:after, Over the years, Bondfield has been awarded a number of contracts at Sunnybrook, which the hospital estimates were worth a total of $129-million. That was a conflict of interest neither man disclosed. When questioned by Zurichs lawyers, Mr. Georgiou insists he didnt invest. .td_block_template_8 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, Mr. Georgiou insisted he had been railroaded, and launched a wrongful dismissal lawsuit against St. Michaels. 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. a.vc_btn-black:hover, background: -webkit-gradient(left top, left bottom, color-stop(0%, rgba(0,0,0,0.8)), color-stop(100%, rgba(0,0,0,0.7))); Mr. Georgiou denies he tipped the scales in favour of Bondfield. Its affiliate was in the concrete forming business. Can we say I have no involvement?. box-shadow: 0 4px 26px #38a6c1; John Aquino has stepped down and been replaced by his brother Steve Aquino, formerly vice-president of operations. set: function (resource_id, cachedData) { ( function () { .td_block_template_3 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, However, in his e-mailed statement to The Globe he said he never received cash or any other undisclosed payments from Mr. Aquino or anyone else., The reason cash payments were being raised in Mr. Aquinos examination, was because of an e-mail he sent to Mr. Georgiou in 2017. Receive a free update of the latest Ontario Construction News each morning -- Cancel anytime! Mr. Aquino was Bondfield's CEO when it won the St. Michael's contract in 2015.Cole Burston/The Globe and Mail. 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.. Bondfield collapsed in 2019, fired Mr. Aquino as CEO and sought court protection from creditors. Another e-mail from June 10, 2015 after the St. Michaels contract was awarded to Bondfield shows that a Bondfield landscaper wanted to know how he should pay for $4,000 worth of artificial turf Mr. Georgiou wanted for his backyard. Mr. Aquino was fired from Bondfield in 2018 by his younger brother Steven Aquino, who supplanted him as president. The day after Bondfields win at the court of appeal, the company sought protection from creditors and that, in effect, ended the lawsuit. "@type": "WebPage", Since that time, he has served in multiple roles, including overseeing construction and working as the hospitals chief information officer. .widget_display_replies .bbp-author-name, 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. .tds-title3 .tdm-title-line:after, Whatever pressure Mr. Aquino was contemplating, nothing came of it. 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.. That is why clients turn to us to solve their most complex legal problems. Your time is valuable. .td_quote_on_blocks, 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. The documents, Zurich alleges, show that Mr. Aquino bestowed multiple benefits on Mr. Georgiou, including free home renovations, and that Mr. Georgiou intervened on Bondfields behalf to help it secure the St. Michaels contract. 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. At all times, Osler acted professionally and ethically in advancing its clients interests in this litigation, Ms. Stein-Korte said. His request was declined. 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. We salute and recognize our Gala Co-chairs, John Aquino, Bondfield Construction and Sam Ciccolini, SJC Investments Inc., as well as our donors, friends and benefactors who generously supported this worthwhile cause and made it a truly special event. var tds_more_articles_on_post_time_to_wait=""; The unsealed documents were filed by Zurich Insurance Co. Ltd., which issued surety bonds on the project. background-color: rgba(56, 166, 193, 0.7); .td-search-form-widget .wpb_button:hover, Related To Catherine Aquino, Anthony Aquino, Antonio Aquino, Vincent Aquino, Jennie Aquino. Mr. Aquino replied, at 11:10 p.m., Good. Report this profile Report Report. After the bids were submitted, the details of each were supposed to be confidential. input[type=submit]:hover, return tdLocalCache.data[resource_id]; .author-box-wrap .td-author-social a:hover, .td_module_wrap:hover .entry-title a, Vas Georgiou had been the chief administrative officer of Infrastructure Ontario, the agency responsible for all of the provinces major public-sector building projects, and before that, a senior executive at another Toronto hospital, St. Josephs Health Centre. ), In August, 2016, Mr. Georgiou e-mailed Mr. Aquino, and in an apparent reference to litigation, said: It is time to play smart offense, enough stay at home defense., The next month, Mr. Georgiou sought a letter from Bondfield that would state neither he, nor any company associated with him, had received any compensation from Mr. Aquino or any companies associated with Mr. Aquino. Mr. Marafioti led the hospitals capital redevelopment program, but in its statement to The Globe, Sunnybrook said Mr. Marafioti was not part of the team that evaluated bidders. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Mr. Aquino said Mr. Georgiou didnt do anything to earn the remaining $450,000, and he had no explanation for the spreadsheet that indicated he owed Mr. Georgiou $500,000. .td-menu-background:before, Globe stories in 2015 and 2016 about Mr. Georgiou and Mr. Aquino detailed how they were involved in multiple businesses together, including a commercial real estate company and a bottled water venture, when Mr. Georgiou was supposed to be acting as a neutral evaluator of bidders. var tds_smart_sidebar="enabled"; 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-mobile-nav .td-menu-login-section a:hover, "@id": "https://www.ontarioconstructionnews.com/york-regional-police-charge-former-bondfield-ceo-john-aquino-with-assault-uttering-threats-globe-and-mail/", Tel: 905-458-1313 ext. The articles addressed the connection between the appellant and its president, John Aquino, with Vas Georgiou, a senior executive at St. Mike's who was on the committee that awarded the construction contract to the appellant. Previous post There is no more story. "item": { .td_block_template_4 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, .page-nav .current, body .td_block_list_menu li.current-menu-ancestor > a, They also sometimes obtain a courts permission to execute civil search warrants on residences and businesses what is known as an Anton Piller order. .dropcap, In another e-mail, Mr. Aquino notes he is with Mr. Georgiou late one evening as a Bondfield employee prepares the companys submission for the hospital project. }, .tds-button6 .tdm-btn-text, A warren of crowded hallways with low-hanging ceilings, much of the facility belies the hospitals world-class reputation for research and care. color: #38a6c1; Copyright Of The Record 2020 All rights reserved. .td_outlined_btn { PCL had received a glowing design score of 86.22 per cent, but the high price tag it proposed $538-million ruled the company out entirely. } var tdBlocksArray = []; //here we store all the items for the current page .page .td_quote_box, color: #38a6c1; Mr. Aquino, Mr. Georgiou and Unity Health opposed the disclosure. On Dec. 18, 2012, Bondfield's John Aquino, one of the company's owners, received an e-mail from a colleague, "vas is in!" Mr. Aquino and his company had many reasons to cheer the news.. Mr. Georgious lawyer said her client denies any wrongdoing. (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.) 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. Suppliers, upset about payment issues, stopped delivering products. .td_block_template_6 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, Bondfield was a construction company that operated in the Greater Toronto Area and elsewhere. -webkit-box-shadow: 0 2px 16px #38a6c1; .td-search-close span:hover i { } var td_user_incorrect="Username incorrect! div.wpforms-container .wpforms-form div.wpforms-submit-container button[type=submit], htmlTag.className += ' td-md-is-chrome'; border-color: #38a6c1 !important; } .td-subfooter-menu li a:hover, Sure enough, the day after Mr. Georgious argument with Mr. Toigo, Mr. Aquino wrote detailed notes about the dispute in his notebook right down to Bondfields low design score. John Aquino talks on the phone in his SUV last April outside Bondfield's office in Vaughan. var tdc_is_installed="yes"; John Aquino was born on 20 April 1948 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. In 2017, more subcontractors walked off the job because of lack of payment. 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.
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