#bbpress-forums .bbp-topic-permalink:hover, 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. .td-smart-list-button:hover, .tdm_block_pricing .tdm-pricing-feature i, var tdb_modal_confirm_alt="Yes"; *rv\:11\./) ) { .td-footer-wrapper .td-post-category, var tdb_modal_confirm="Save"; Yesterday arrived from Edenton the Sloop Sally Cap Norton which place he left the 6th June. "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. .sf-menu > .sfHover > 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. Mr. Aquino was fired from Bondfield in 2018 by his younger brother Steven Aquino, who supplanted him as president. .td-block-title-wrap .td-wrapper-pulldown-filter .td-pulldown-filter-display-option:hover, John Bondfield to the Commissioners, 3 October 1778. } #bbpress-forums li.bbp-header .bbp-reply-content span a:hover, .td-pulldown-syle-3 .td-subcat-dropdown:hover .td-subcat-more span, "@type": "BreadcrumbList", Mr. MacNaughton was named Canadas ambassador to the United States in March, 2016. Neither disclosed these conflicts of interest in declarations they were required to fill out at the start of the St. Michaels procurement. var tds_logo_on_sticky=""; }, var td_email_user_incorrect="Email or username incorrect! 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-header-wrap .black-menu .sf-menu > li > a:hover, Steven Aquino replied that, yes, his brother told him he had paid Mr. Marafioti in connection with Bondfield's work at Sunnybrook. That didnt stop Mr. Aquino. 3. 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. By 2016, the project was already falling into disarray. When Mr. Dipede replied that, indeed, Mr. Aquinos name was in the public filings associated with the building, Mr. Aquino responded: So this reporter could find out., At 2 a.m. on Sept. 10, Mr. Aquino sent instructions to Mr. Dipede and Mr. Aquinos younger brother, Steve: We need to hire the best libel lawyer to go against The Globe. John Aquino also mused about leaning on an associate, who he believed had a relationship with a member of the Thomson family the owners of Woodbridge Co. Ltd., which owns The Globe and Mail. The alleged kickbacks were discovered by Zurich after it launched a lawsuit last year against Mr. Georgiou, Mr. Aquino and Unity Health Toronto the hospital network that includes St. Michaels arguing the two men orchestrated a bid-rigging scheme to ensure Bondfield won the contract. The Surety Association of Canada has called it the largest construction collapse in the countrys history. htmlTag.className += ' td-md-is-iemobile'; .td_block_template_7 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, In addition to $2-million in proceeds that allegedly flowed from the phony companies to Mr. Anastasio, forensic auditors also allege they have traced $5.2-million that flowed to Mr. Aquino from 2014 to 2019, court records show. } In an e-mailed statement, a spokesperson for Metrolinx, the provincial agency that oversees GO Transit, said it learned about this allocation because of The Globes inquiries. Pressed to explain his choice of words by Zurichs lawyers, Mr. Georgiou said that, in the event Bondfield did indeed win, the hospital would be partners with Mr. Aquino. .block-title > span, var td_user_incorrect="Username incorrect! We need to finish a few things at his place. Other e-mails from 2013, 2014 and 2015 show Bondfield staff asked Mr. Aquino for instructions about how to record work done at Vas house or Vass house.. Bondfield faced more than 200 lawsuits from unpaid creditors and subcontractors, and work on the companys projects across Ontario ground to a halt. In its statement, Unity Health characterized Zurichs lawsuit as an attempt to get out of its obligations under the surety bonds, and noted that the healthcare network has countersued the insurer. font-weight:normal; var td_retype_pass_incorrect="Retyped Pass incorrect! a, The multifaceted police probe, which is now scrutinizing multiple hospital construction contracts as well as an alleged scheme to siphon $80-million out of Bondfield through the use of false invoices, is entering its third year. background-color: #38a6c1; Six days before The Globe published its first story, word was out that reporters were beginning to ask questions about Mr. Aquinos ties to Mr. Georgiou. googletag.defineSlot('/1003600/ocn300x250', [300, 250], 'div-gpt-ad-1642433266467-0').addService(googletag.pubads()); border-color: #38a6c1; .tds-button6:after, .td-menu-background:before, .td_block_template_4 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item:before { .dropcap, Details of the alleged kickbacks contained in e-mails and transcripts were barred from public view. font-size:13px; .td-theme-wrap .sf-menu ul .current-menu-ancestor > a, > .td_block_template_9 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, We'll see you in San Antonio! Your time is valuable. .block-title > label, #bbpress-forums .bbp-pagination .current, .td-subcat-filter .td-subcat-list a:hover, John Aquino was the directing mind of Bondfield Construction Company Limited (BCCL), a construction company that operated in and around Toronto, as well as its affiliate, Forma-Con Construction (CC), which performed concrete forming. 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. .page-nav:first-child > div, This letter will help both my and your lawsuit with the newspaper.. } 1. tdLocalCache.data[resource_id] = cachedData; Experience CFO Bondfield Construction Company Limited . googletag.enableServices(); Sign up today. 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. var tdc_is_installed="yes"; background-color: #38a6c1; .td-search-close span:hover i { Since that time, he has served in multiple roles, including overseeing construction and working as the hospitals chief information officer. body .td_top_authors .td-active .td-authors-name a, .tdm_block_list .tdm-list-item i, .bbp_widget_login .button:hover, "@type": "ListItem", background: -ms-linear-gradient(top, rgba(0,0,0,0.8) 0%, rgba(0,0,0,0.7) 100%); This barely satisfactory score was not good enough for one of the Infrastructure Ontario officials on the steering committee. After Mr. Georgiou joined the hospital, the first hurdle Bondfield had to clear was the Request for Qualifications, or RFQ. John Aquino, who headed up the company until he was fired in 2018, received the messages from a St. Michael's insider who had been given a "concealed" Bondfield.com e-mail account, investigators with Ernst & Young Inc. allege in the court filings. 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"name": "Around the province" Learn how your comment data is processed. "position": 2, var td_pass_empty="Pass empty! John Aquino was born on 20 April 1948 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Bondfield, now insolvent, grew rapidly in the middle of the last decade. 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. He is quitting?. } Justice Dietrich ruled that $22-million must be paid back to the monitor for Bondfield. if ( /chrom(e|ium)/.test(navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase()) ) { Mr. Aquino also wanted to know if his name showed up in any public records connected with a commercial building in Toronto. In an e-mail, a spokesperson for the hospital said it is co-operating fully with the investigation and has retained a law firm to investigate. border-color: #38a6c1 !important; googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); } Ontario Construction News staff writer John Aquino, the former chief executive officer of Bondfield Construction Co. Ltd., was a domineering boss who was used to getting his way. Includes Address (6) Phone (7) Email (2) See Results. ] If you would like to receive this service, just complete the information below. Condrain Company (1983) Ltd. has been charged with six counts of criminal negligence causing death in relation to a crash Ontario Construction News staff writer A Roman Catholic religious order founded the hospital on Bond Street in the 1890s. "; .page-nav .current, .tds-progress-bar2 .tdm-progress-bar:after, On July 23, 2014, the evaluators tasked with reviewing the design submissions of the bidders presented their scores to the steering committee of four senior officials, including Mr. Georgiou. St. Michael's Hospital in 2015, the year that Bondfield Construction Co. Ltd. won a contract to manage a major redevelopment there. On Nov. 12, 2015, St. Michaels fired Mr. Georgiou for cause. John Bondfield to the Commissioners. Zurich is seeking a court order to rescind the surety bonds it issued. Evidence filed in court by Zurich includes Mr. Aquinos handwritten notes, which show he sought advice from Mr. MacNaughton. They should continue to fund construction, and then sue the actual fraudsters (John Aquino & Bondfield). Zurich, citing this alleged corruption, is seeking a court order rescinding the bonds it issued on the St. Michaels contract. .td-weather-week:before, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Learn More Ralph Aquino CHAIRMAN Learn More Maria Bot, BSc. } John Aquino, et al. 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. Other evidence uncovered by Zurich, the company alleges, shows that Mr. Aquino provided Mr. Georgiou with shares in businesses he owned. Bondfield's office in Vaughan. The terms of the settlement are confidential, but the evidence unearthed by Zurich contains a hint about what Mr. Georgiou received. #bbpress-forums .bbp-pagination .current, .td_block_wrap .td-subcat-item a.td-cur-simple-item { 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. It must be recognized that neither the legal nor forensic accounting teams had the power to compel documents and testimony from unwilling parties.. body .td_top_authors .td-active .td-author-post-count, The result was a $125-million libel lawsuit from the construction company. He's an professional, known for Blow Out (1981), Diner (1982) and and justice for everyone. I think that is wrong. body .td_block_list_menu li.current-menu-ancestor > a, .wpb_tabs li.ui-tabs-active a, background: -moz-linear-gradient(top, rgba(0,0,0,0.8) 0%, rgba(0,0,0,0.7) 100%); "; Join to connect Bondfield Construction Company Limited. 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. For six years, The Globe investigated the relationship between Bondfield and Torontos St. Michaels Hospital. } .wpb_default:hover, John received a BS degree from University of Chicago and a MBA from University of . Have the Top Business Headlines newsletter conveniently delivered to your inbox in the morning or evening. 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. .td-block-title-wrap .td-wrapper-pulldown-filter .td-pulldown-filter-item .td-cur-simple-item, Mr. Aquino recently completed his term as Chair of the OGCA, and demonstrated great leadership throughout the past year in supporting issues on behalf of all members, in many instances putting his company's interests on the line to support our members. 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. Alessandra Aquino, B. ENG, MBA, Vice President of Project Development. .td_outlined_btn:hover { He was part of a steering committee of four senior officials who approved the shortlist of bidders, and another steering committee of four who ultimately recommended Bondfield win the contract decisions by consensus that, he says, eliminated any outsized influence he may have tried to wield. Lived In North Hollywood CA, West Hollywood CA, Los Angeles CA, Boca Raton FL. set: function (resource_id, cachedData) { body .td_block_list_menu li.current-menu-item > a, .td-close-video-fixed { 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. -moz-box-shadow: 0 2px 16px #38a6c1; 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. Mr. Aquino had also provided Mr. Georgiou with his own bondfield.com e-mail address. John Aquino, Bondfield's former president, is a target of the SFO probe as well. .td_block_template_3 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, That ruling has been appealed and a decision by the Ontario Court of Appeal has yet to be released. } .td-load-more-wrap a:hover, The story, which detailed how Mr. Georgiou had been implicated in a fraud at a public university, was damning, and would soon spell the end of Mr. Georgious time at the hospital. background: -o-linear-gradient(top, rgba(0,0,0,0.8) 0%, rgba(0,0,0,0.7) 100%); .td-author-name a:hover, But Zurich alleges other e-mails show Mr. Georgiou was indeed trying to obtain some kind of compensation for Mr. Mendonca. .tdm-btn-style1 { reported that the Bondfield Group had a cash flow concern. And with Mr. Georgiou in a position of influence, Bondfield had a clear edge. var td_ad_background_click_target=""; $19 Million Mini Biography John Aquino was created on Apr 20, 1948 in Philadelphia, Pa, USA as John Michael Grochowina. .td-trending-now-wrapper:hover .td-trending-now-title, .sf-menu > li:hover > a:after, A spreadsheet of all of Mr. Aquinos assets, found on Bondfields servers, included a notation next to the company that owned the buildings: Owe Vas $500,000., Under questioning by Zurichs lawyers, Mr. Aquino said he had gifted about $50,000 worth of shares in the company to Mr. Georgiou in 2012, before he was hired by St. Michaels. As for St. Michaels, the hospital settled its wrongful dismissal lawsuit with Mr. Georgiou. Infrastructure Ontario signs hang on the construction hoarding outside St. Michael's in 2018. Late last month, York Regional Police laid seven criminal charges against former Bondfield Construction Co. chief executive officer John Aquino. Under questioning by Zurichs lawyers, Mr. Georgiou confirmed they had been friends since high school. In a statement to The Globe this week, a spokesperson for Osler said the firm had no knowledge of the e-mail deletions. Special to Ontario Construction News this.atts = ''; Andy Pattenden confirmed in an email to Ontario Construction News (OCN) on Monday. ul.sf-menu > .menu-item > a { For a number of people with inside knowledge about the procurement, the reports findings were puzzling. See You Next Year. At all times, Osler acted professionally and ethically in advancing its clients interests in this litigation, Ms. Stein-Korte said. Bondfield, meanwhile, launched a $125-million libel lawsuit against The Globe. The firm has no knowledge about the article that gave rise to the lawsuit, Mr. Matheson said. Ukraine Interior Minister Killed In Helicopter Crash, Greta v. Polizei, Worlds Oldest Person Dies, Didi reopens to new users after $1.2-B fine, Jordan, Latvia and Israel shake up diplomatic corps after Shadow Diplomats investigation ICIJ. Bondfield Construction reported bullet holes in its building on 2 occasions in the past month in just the latest incident of buildings, particularly in Vaughan, being targeted with guns Fax: 905-458-6020. Mr. Aquino, Mr. Georgiou and Unity Health opposed the disclosure. 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. The Mareva was brought against John Aquino by Ernst & Young Inc., in its capacity as court-appointed monitor of Bondfield Construction Company Limited. } That same 2013 e-mail also raises questions about who was ultimately paying for the work on Mr. Georgious home.

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