.wpb_tabs .wpb_tabs_nav, Late at night on Sept. 9, 2015, and into the early morning hours the next day, Mr. Aquino fired off several e-mails to Mr. Dipede: Who owns shares of GP8. I am with Vas. For six years, The Globe investigated the relationship between Bondfield and Torontos St. Michaels Hospital. .td-page-title, Pressed by Zurichs lawyers, though, Mr. Georgiou said thats not at all what Mr. Aquino meant. But Bondfield appealed, and in 2019 the Ontario Court of Appeal reversed the lower courts decision. } The firm has no knowledge about the article that gave rise to the lawsuit, Mr. Matheson said. For its part, Unity Health spokeswoman Sabrina Divell told The Globe that St. Michaels had no knowledge at the time about the work done on Mr. Georgious home. .dropcap2, var td_magnific_popup_translation_tCounter="%curr% of %total%"; By the end of this exercise, more than 5,000 messages were wiped from the companys system, forensic examiners would later determine. .td-read-more a, .td_quote_on_blocks, The Globe filed a motion in court to have Bondfields lawsuit dismissed under the Protection of Public Participation Act an Ontario law passed to quash meritless lawsuits that are launched not to seek an actual remedy, but to intimidate and suppress speech that is in the public interest. this.id = ''; .td-theme-wrap .sf-menu ul .current-category-ancestor > a, Turner Construction has an office in Toronto, but is headquartered in New York. input[type=submit]:hover, { } 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. 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. ICARE Gala Co-Chairs, John Aquino, Bondfield Construction Company Ltd. (left) and Sam Ciccolini, SJC Investments Inc. (right) join Connie Dejak, President & CEO at the 2013 gala. 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. As for how that information filtered down to Mr. Aquino, Mr. Georgiou told Zurichs lawyers he had no explanation. The company wouldnt receive anything from taxpayers until it hit its first milestone the completion of the patient-care tower. 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. John Aquino, formerly of Bonfield Construction, formerly in Concord, has been charged criminally by York Regional Police. .author-box-wrap .td-author-social a:hover, And falter it did. These are often referred to as SLAPP suits (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation). 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.. } Alessandra Aquino, B. ENG, MBA, Vice President of Project Development. 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. .header-search-wrap .td-drop-down-search:after, a.vc_btn-black.vc_btn_outlined:hover { Sirs. He is an actor, known for Blow Out (1981), And Justice for All (1979) and Ryan's Hope (1975). The Mareva was brought against John Aquino by Ernst & Young Inc., in its capacity as court-appointed monitor of Bondfield Construction Company Limited. Over the years, Bondfield has been awarded a number of contracts at Sunnybrook, which the hospital estimates were worth a total of $129-million. During his examination, he was asked by Zurich lawyer Brian Kolenda: Sir, you had been fired from the hospital some 18 months prior to this. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover Vitalii's connections and jobs at similar companies. Vas Georgiou, top, and John Aquino, bottom. htmlTag.className += ' ie11'; .td-trending-now-wrapper:hover .td-trending-now-title, function tdBlock() { font-weight:500; 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. Mr. Georgiou replied: I wanted to make sure that the project was a success, regardless of my departure from St. Mikes. He said there was nothing untoward about his continued involvement. For his part, Mr. Georgiou denied, in his examination, having any interest whatsoever in the buildings. In 2015, not long after Bondfield broke ground at the hospital, brown envelopes containing identical letters appeared in the mailboxes of four Globe and Mail journalists. As well, the Globe and Mail reports that on June 12, 2018, John Aquino threatened to kill an employee who was doing work on his home. As well, on Oct. 12, 2018, three days before he was fired, John Aquino threatened to kill an adult male regarding e-mails that he didnt like, the Globe and Mail wrote, referencing police sources. #bbpress-forums .bbp-body .super-sticky li.bbp-topic-title .bbp-topic-permalink, The problem was that neither company, both of which were owned by Mr. Georgious family, had actually performed any work. 0 0 805 All Time 0. When The Globe published more stories, including a piece about both mens ties to GP8 Sportwater, Bondfield sued over those as well. Bondfield was a construction company that operated in the Greater Toronto Area and elsewhere. VICE-PRESIDENT & SECRETARY Learn More David Petrie VP OPERATIONS Learn More Kevin Hicks, CPA, CMA CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Learn More Ajith Lokuge, B.Sc. *rv\:11\./) ) { "; .archive .widget_archive .current, The fraudster shareholder was John Aquino. 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. The top two floors remain under construction, Ms. Divell said. This barely satisfactory score was not good enough for one of the Infrastructure Ontario officials on the steering committee. He added: Weve done a lot of projects there. .tdm_block_column_content:hover .tdm-col-content-title-url .tdm-title, a.vc_btn-black:hover, color: #38a6c1 !important; font-weight:500; Mr. Toigos opposition had serious implications. You can receive a daily update of certificates and notices published in Ontario Construction News, sent around 7:30 a.m. each morning. .td-trending-now-wrapper:hover .td-trending-now-title, .tds-progress-bar2 .tdm-progress-bar:after, Bordeaux 3 Octr 1778. filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.gradient( startColorstr='rgba(0,0,0,0.8)', endColorstr='rgba(0,0,0,0.7)', GradientType=0 ); 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. 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. htmlTag.className += ' td-md-is-os-x'; Suppliers, upset about payment issues, stopped delivering products. Ontario Construction News staff writer Mr. Georgiou insisted he had been railroaded, and launched a wrongful dismissal lawsuit against St. Michaels. })(); CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Learn More Ralph Aquino CHAIRMAN Learn More Maria Bot, BSc. The records Zurich has pried out of Bondfields computer servers also call into question the efforts or lack thereof of Infrastructure Ontario, the provinces procurement arm, to unravel the relationship between the two men. 1.. That ruling has been appealed and a decision by the Ontario Court of Appeal has yet to be released. 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. Needs to be unanimous. "; 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. a.vc_btn-black:hover, .td_block_template_4 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item:before { htmlTag.className += ' ieEdge'; 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. Winning the St. Michaels contract would elevate the company into the big leagues with rivals EllisDon and PCL Construction. background-color: #38a6c1; Mr. Georgiou was never charged criminally, but York sued him to recover the funds a suit that was settled out of court. -moz-box-shadow: 0 2px 16px #38a6c1; background: linear-gradient(to bottom, rgba(0,0,0,0.8) 0%, rgba(0,0,0,0.7) 100%); JOHN AQUINO, MARCO CARUSO, GIUSEPPE ANASTASIO a.k.a. a, var tds_more_articles_on_post_pages_distance_from_top=0; this.is_ajax_running = false; 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. But a month before St. Michaels even announced Mr. Georgious appointment publicly in January, 2013, celebrations had begun in Bondfields head office. 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. Mr. Aquino and his company had many reasons to cheer the news. var td_email_incorrect="Email incorrect! 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. var td_email_user_pass_incorrect="User or password incorrect! Steve Aquino now is the CEO of Corebuild Construction Ltd., based in North York. .tdm-btn-style3 { "; 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. font-weight:normal; .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, .tdm-btn-style2 { When questioned by Zurichs lawyers, Mr. Georgiou insists he didnt invest. Our Toronto office acts for Ernst & Young Inc., as monitor in the CCAA proceedings of Bondfield Construction Company Limited and various affiliates. border-color: #38a6c1; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; })(); That didnt stop Mr. Aquino. The multinational insurer alleges Mr. Georgiou received kickbacks, including free home renovations, and secretly obtained shares, worth at least $500,000, in companies owned by Mr. Aquino. "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. .block-title, Bondfield is highly regarded in many sectors. var tdBlocksArray = []; //here we store all the items for the current page Mr. Georgiou exploited his position to influence the direction of the evaluation, the company said in its pleadings. if( -1 !== navigator.userAgent.indexOf('IEMobile') ){ } set: function (resource_id, cachedData) { this.td_filter_value = ''; //current live filter value Thanks again for cigar it was good to see you and you have charged my batteries.. .single-product .product .summary .cart .button:hover, googletag.enableServices(); 3. In response to e-mailed questions from The Globe, Linda Robinson, the then-chair of Infrastructure Ontarios board and a former partner at Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, said: I am not going to comment on matters that were reviewed at great length and in painstaking detail by the legal and accounting firms five years ago., Michael Lindsay, the new CEO of Infrastructure Ontario, said in an e-mailed statement that, because the agency selects winners by consensus as part of a committee, it is virtually impossible for individuals to influence the outcome., As for the investigators failure to uncover the secret e-mails between Mr. Aquino and Mr. Georgiou, or the evidence of the home renovations and other alleged benefits, Mr. Lindsay chalked that up to the limitations of private investigators. #bbpress-forums .bbp-pagination .current, } Mr. Aquino sits in his SUV at the Bondfield office last October. this.block_type = 1; //block type id (1-234 etc) "@type": "WebSite", } .td-post-small-box a:hover, 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. Beginning in 2015, BCCL and its affiliated entities (the Bondfiled Group) began to experience liquidity challenges. Mr. Aquino, Mr. Georgiou and Unity Health opposed the disclosure. At all times, Osler acted professionally and ethically in advancing its clients interests in this litigation, Ms. Stein-Korte said. A bousta, or busta, is an Italian slang term often used to describe cash in an envelope. Under questioning by Zurichs lawyers, Mr. Georgiou confirmed they had been friends since high school. var td_ad_background_click_link=""; Aquino was also charged with breaking and entering after allegedly entering the companys headquarters in April with the intent to steal documents, Pattenden said in an e-mailed statement to the newspaper, which reported that neither Aquino nor his lawyer have responded to requests for comment. But I didnt give any cash to Mike Mendonca., Mr. Mendonca declined to explain what Mr. Georgiou was referring to when he asked Mr. Aquino to get something for him. Bondfield's office in Vaughan. Do not get upset or angry, he wrote. .header-search-wrap .td-drop-down-search .btn:hover, } Speak Bay Street not Calabrese.. 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. (It has since been purchased by the Power Corp. family of companies and renamed Potentia Renewables). 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. if ( -1 !== navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Firefox') ) { He is quitting?. Zurich argues that the alleged collusion should nullify any obligation it has to pay for the completion of the project. The federal government last week announced over $2.1 million for infrastructure improvements and flood protection projects in Peterborough. .logged-in-as a:hover, Bondfield, now insolvent, grew rapidly in the middle of the last decade. "@type": "BreadcrumbList", background: rgba(0,0,0,0.8); .td-smart-list-button:hover, 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. 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. Also known as John Diaquino, Born J Aquino. Mr. Georgiou had a heated argument with Mr. Toigo, which one witness described as a raised voice discussion.. body .td_block_list_menu li.current-menu-item > a, .td-pulldown-syle-2 .td-subcat-dropdown:hover .td-subcat-more i, 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. Mr. Aquino wanted to know: Were any clues about his ties to Mr. Georgiou contained in public records? Related To Catherine Aquino, Anthony Aquino, Antonio Aquino, Vincent Aquino, Jennie Aquino. Mr. Aquino told Mr. Georgiou: Your (sic) going to get a bousta if can make this deal.. His request was declined. } cite a:hover, "; .tds-button6 .tdm-btn-text, Mr. Georgiou worked at Infrastructure Ontario from 2006 until he was dismissed in 2012, after he was implicated in a false invoice scheme at Torontos York University. background-color: #38a6c1; Mr. Marafioti was not a party to that litigation and was not offered an opportunity to respond to Steven Aquinos testimony. .td-subcat-filter .td-subcat-dropdown a:hover, Police allege that was assault with a weapon. Andy Pattenden confirmed in an email to Ontario Construction News (OCN) on Monday. Several sources with knowledge of Mr. Georgious interventions at the RFQ and RFP stages interventions that benefited Bondfield who spoke with The Globe said they were simply never approached by the investigators. var tds_smart_sidebar="enabled"; The City of Hamilton has discovered more sewage flowing directly into Lake Ontario. As for St. Michaels, the hospital settled its wrongful dismissal lawsuit with Mr. Georgiou. "itemListElement": [ var td_email_user_empty="Email or username empty! Most startling was that it alleges former Ontario General Contractors Association chair John Aquino, a 33 per cent shareholder in the privately-held business founded by his father Ralph 50 years ago, took $5.2 million. Late last month, York Regional Police laid seven criminal charges against former Bondfield Construction Co. chief executive officer John Aquino. "@context": "http://schema.org", .td_block_template_14 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, Mark Buckshon, Publisher, Ontario Construction News. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; .td-theme-wrap .sf-menu ul .td-menu-item > a:hover, htmlTag.className += ' ie10'; } .td-404-sub-sub-title a:hover, ), 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. .td_block_template_7 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, }); 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. } 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.