John Aquino talks on the phone in his SUV last April outside Bondfield's office in Vaughan. Mr. Georgiou replied three hours later, saying he spoke with Mr. Mendonca, who he said had agreed to hang in. He explained that Mr. Mendonca felt trapped because work on the project had come to a standstill, and that he was going to get trashed at the upcoming St. Michaels board meeting. No one person could materially influence or direct the outcome of the procurement process, he has argued in court filings. "name": "Home" .td_block_exchange .td-exchange-header:before, Steven Aquino replied that, yes, his brother told him he had paid Mr. Marafioti in connection with Bondfield's work at Sunnybrook. } background: -o-linear-gradient(top, rgba(0,0,0,0.8) 0%, rgba(0,0,0,0.7) 100%); 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.. 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. 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))); .tds-button1, #bbpress-forums .bbp-forums-list li a:hover, tdLocalCache = { "name": "York Regional Police charge former Bondfield CEO John Aquino with assault, uttering" border-color: #38a6c1; His request was declined. .td_block_template_9 .td-related-title:after { The Globe is not naming these sources because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the procurement. John Aquino, Bondfield's former president, is a target of the SFO probe as well. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. var td_email_incorrect="Email incorrect! Evidence filed in court by Zurich includes Mr. Aquinos handwritten notes, which show he sought advice from Mr. MacNaughton. .td_shadow_btn, 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. .td-load-more-wrap a:hover, Your time is valuable. .td-post-category:hover, var tds_header_style=""; 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. This is not entirely accurate. $19 Million Mini Biography John Aquino was created on Apr 20, 1948 in Philadelphia, Pa, USA as John Michael Grochowina. #td-mobile-nav .td-register-section a:hover, Born April 20, 1948 Add or change photo on IMDbPro Add to list Known for Blow Out 7.4 Detective Mackey 1981 And Justice for All 7.4 Deputy Sheriff 1979 Ryan's Hope 7.3 TV Series .td-mobile-content .current-menu-item > a, The Globe and Mail reported last week that arrest followed an investigation by YRP detectives of several complaints from current and former staff of Bondfield in Vaughan. .page-nav:first-child > div, Have the Top Business Headlines newsletter conveniently delivered to your inbox in the morning or evening. .td_3D_btn, a, Back Submit. "; googletag.cmd.push(function() { [16] In October 2018, BCCL's primary lender, Bridging Finance Inc. ("Bridging"), called in its $80,000,000 loan. Pressed by Zurichs lawyers, though, Mr. Georgiou said thats not at all what Mr. Aquino meant. 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. .td_wrapper_video_playlist .td_video_controls_playlist_wrapper, Mr. Aquino and his company had many reasons to cheer the news. 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. A pedestrian passes the St. Michael's Hospital emergency entrance this past fall. John Aquino Attorney and Author Silver Spring, MD 659 others named John Aquino are on LinkedIn See others named John Aquino Add new skills with these courses Photoshop and Illustrator:. } .block-title > a, #bbpress-forums .bbp-topic-freshness a:hover, None of the allegations have been proved in court. Our structure has evolved into a single-ownership business, but the Aquino family remains at its head. if ( /(iPad|iPhone|iPod)/g.test(navigator.userAgent) ) { 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. 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. .td-post-next-prev-content a:hover, That ruling has been appealed and a decision by the Ontario Court of Appeal has yet to be released. .td-menu-background:before, On April 3, 2019, Bondfield Construction Company Limited ("BCCL") and several related entities (collectively "Bondfield") obtained . a.vc_btn-black.vc_btn_outlined:hover { 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. htmlTag.className += ' td-md-is-android'; body .td_top_authors .td_mod_wrap:hover .td-authors-name a, He didnt pay because he was a friend and a client, he said. Canadian singing legend, Andy Kim and his nine-piece band headlined the gala, providing the . Pressed to explain this by Zurichs lawyers, Mr. Georgiou said Infrastructure Ontario had introduced new criteria that placed more emphasis on local experience, and the evaluators had not properly considered this in their initial scoring. 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. .tds-social3 .tdm-social-item { That same 2013 e-mail also raises questions about who was ultimately paying for the work on Mr. Georgious home. var tdLocalCache = {}; 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. 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. He has lived in Ottawa since 1981. At all times, Osler acted professionally and ethically in advancing its clients interests in this litigation, Ms. Stein-Korte said. var td_please_wait="Please wait"; var td_user_incorrect="Username incorrect! [17] John Aquino's employment with the Bondfield Group was terminated on October 15, *rv\:11\./) ) { .mce-content-body blockquote p, .page .td_quote_box, 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. 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 added: Weve done a lot of projects there. But without Mr. Toigos support, the contract couldnt be awarded. font-weight:500; Mr. Georgiou was never charged criminally, but York sued him to recover the funds a suit that was settled out of court. .td-mobile-content .current-menu-ancestor > a, Its affiliate was in the concrete forming business. color: #38a6c1; #bbpress-forums .bbp-pagination .current, A special committee of the board of Infrastructure Ontario went so far as to conclude that the St. Former Bondfield CEO faces seven criminal charges including assault and uttering threats, St. Michaels Hospital says Zurich Insurance is obligated to pay to finish work on Bondfield project, Insurer says it isnt liable for finishing Bondfield renovation. The terms of the settlement are confidential, but the evidence unearthed by Zurich contains a hint about what Mr. Georgiou received. A police investigation, which is being led by a provincial law enforcement initiative known as the Serious Fraud Office, is targeting Sam Marafioti, a Sunnybrook executive who oversaw construction and planning until his recent resignation from the hospital. CFO at Bondfield Construction Company Limited Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. Mr. Aquino said that, when it came to Potentia, Vas didnt get a penny from me. Mr. Aquino declined to answer any questions about why he didnt disclose the two of them having ownership stakes before bidding on the St. Michaels project. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; htmlTag.className += ' td-md-is-chrome'; He's an professional, known for Blow Out (1981), Diner (1982) and and justice for everyone. But Zurich alleges other e-mails show Mr. Georgiou was indeed trying to obtain some kind of compensation for Mr. Mendonca. 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. While most publishers achieve their role through a sales/business development career, Mark developed his business skills after succeeding as a journalist, and he continues to enjoy actively writing, editing and contributing to the publication. 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. Steven Aquino replied that, yes, his brother told him he had paid Mr. Marafioti in connection with Bondfields work at Sunnybrook. Only Infrastructure Ontario knew those figures, and even he hadnt been told at that point, he said. Mr. Georgious lawyer has said her client denies any wrongdoing. Law firms that specialize in white-collar investigations often turn to the courts to compel the production of documents. { .td_block_template_16 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, #bbpress-forums .bbp-topic-started-in 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. JOHN AQUINO, MARCO CARUSO, GIUSEPPE ANASTASIO a.k.a. Sign up today. 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. .tdm_block_pricing.tdm-pricing-featured:before, googletag.defineSlot('/1003600/728x90ocnews', [728, 90], 'div-gpt-ad-1663612288383-0').addService(googletag.pubads()); 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. Why on earth would Mr. Mendonca, you and Mr. Aquino, for any legitimate purpose, need to be discussing St. Mikes at all?. 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. 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. "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. window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; body .tdm-social-item i { var td_pass_empty="Pass empty! 2. body .td-trending-now-title, The firm has no knowledge about the article that gave rise to the lawsuit, Mr. Matheson said. The aggregate value of these projects is in the billions of dollars. .bbp_widget_login .button:hover, Michaels Hospital procurement was not compromised.. googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); 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. "@type": "ListItem", "name": "Around the province" John Aquino, et al. background: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, rgba(0,0,0,0.8) 0%, rgba(0,0,0,0.7) 100%); { The details of the mass deletion are contained in thousands of pages of court documents unsealed in March, at the request of The Globe, by Ontario Superior Court Justice Cory Gilmore. var td_magnific_popup_translation_image_tError="The image #%curr% could not be loaded. In an e-mailed statement to The Globe and Mail he said he could not provide a detailed comment while the matter was under investigation. if ( -1 !== navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Safari') && -1 === navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Chrome') ) { Mr. Marafioti was first hired at Sunnybrook in 1989. (function(){ Infrastructure Ontario launched an investigation of his dealings with Vas Georgiou.Cole Burston/The Globe and Mail. background-color: #38a6c1; } Pension documents provided by St. Michaels to Zurich show that Mr. Georgiou received his salary from Nov. 12, 2015 to May 12, 2017 payments totalling $477,000. .td_outlined_btn, this.post_count = 0; //from wp background-color: #38a6c1; 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. Mr. Georgiou has denied he swayed the procurement in Bondfields favour. 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. Andy Pattenden confirmed in an email to Ontario Construction News (OCN) on Monday. He sued The Globe as well, but never proceeded past filing a statement of claim. .td-load-more-wrap a:hover, exist: function (resource_id) { Manipulated invoices for the renovation and improvement of Ralph Aquino's G, residence approved by Steven Aquino and Ralph Aquino and paid for by Bondfield Construction Company Limited Photo of Steven Aquino, John Aquino, and Joe Anastasio, amongst others, at the H World of Concrete Exposition in January 2017 The sprawling nature of the Bondfield probe also speaks to the companys significant role in Ontarios public sector, as well as the deep impact its 2019 insolvency left on the construction industry. background: -ms-linear-gradient(top, rgba(0,0,0,0.8) 0%, rgba(0,0,0,0.7) 100%); Bondfield's office in Vaughan. .td-header-wrap .black-menu .sf-menu > .current-menu-item > a, tdLocalCache.data[resource_id] = cachedData; John Aquino, Bondfields former president, is a target of the SFO probe as well. .comment-reply-link:hover, function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} After the bids were submitted, the details of each were supposed to be confidential. .td-subcat-filter .td-subcat-dropdown:hover .td-subcat-more, The hospital believed it had just the man for the job an executive with a background in health care and construction. .td-subcat-filter .td-subcat-list a:hover, By the end of this exercise, more than 5,000 messages were wiped from the companys system, forensic examiners would later determine. #td-mobile-nav .td-menu-socials-wrap a:hover i, Mr. Georgiou had a heated argument with Mr. Toigo, which one witness described as a raised voice discussion.. .td_block_template_9 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, .td-block-title-wrap .td-wrapper-pulldown-filter .td-pulldown-filter-link:hover, .td-theme-wrap .sf-menu ul .td-menu-item > a:hover, Is it fair to say you were doing this as a favour to him because of his role and influence at Infrastructure Ontario? Mr. Lerner asked. 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. As the deadline for the final bids crept closer, Mr. Aquino and Mr. Georgiou continued to exchange messages on the secret BlackBerry and Mr. Georgious bondfield.com e-mail account. .wpb_default:hover, Your time is valuable. body .td_block_categories_tags .td-ct-item:hover, As for St. Michaels, the hospital settled its wrongful dismissal lawsuit with Mr. Georgiou. border-color: #38a6c1 transparent transparent transparent !important; That point, he has argued in court by Zurich contains a about... Denied he swayed the procurement process, he said, Ontario, Canada Mr. Toigos,... The courts to compel the production of documents was under investigation past fall Michael Grochowina curr could! 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