.tds-button6:after, 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. htmlTag.className += ' td-md-is-iemobile'; .block-title > span, Zurich also alleges that other records show the two men were co-owners of another business Potentia Solar Inc. Potentia, which landed a $1.2-billion contract in 2011 to outfit Toronto public schools with solar panels, was owned by people close to both men. The company had just eked out a passing grade. He was released with a next court date of Jan. 6, 2021, Pattenden wrote. .td_block_template_9 .td-related-title:after { filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.gradient( startColorstr='rgba(0,0,0,0.8)', endColorstr='rgba(0,0,0,0.7)', GradientType=0 ); (1979) as Deputy Sheriff googletag.enableServices(); "@type": "ListItem", Mr. Aquino was Bondfield's CEO when it won the St. Michael's contract in 2015. St. Michael's Hospital in 2015, the year that Bondfield Construction Co. Ltd. won a contract to manage a major redevelopment there. On Jan. 5, 2015, just a few weeks before St. Michaels announced it had finally selected Bondfield as the winner, Mr. Georgiou appointed Michael Mendonca as the hospitals new vice-president of facilities. On Dec. 8, Mr. Georgiou e-mailed Mr. Aquino: I told smooth to do whatever he can do to help you and we will work things out. Then, two days before Christmas, Mr. Georgiou e-mailed Mr. Aquino with a cryptic request: Any chance to get something for Smooth today or tomorrow?, Mr. Aquino replied with a terse, two-word answer: Boxing Day. Mr. Georgiou replied: I will give him some more help tomorrow as he needs for xmas. Asked by Zurichs lawyers what help he provided to Mr. Mendonca, Mr. Aquino said he believed he gave him a panettone, the Italian sweet bread that is popular at Christmas. htmlTag.className += ' td-md-is-ios'; 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. Alessandra.Aquino@aquicon.com. .td-page-title, By the end of this exercise, more than 5,000 messages were wiped from the companys system, forensic examiners would later determine. font-weight:500; font-size:13px; He's an professional, known for Blow Out (1981), Diner (1982) and and justice for everyone. .wpb_default, .td-rating-bar-wrap div, 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. .td-header-wrap .black-menu .sf-menu > .current-menu-ancestor > a, Mr. Marafioti was not a party to that litigation and was not offered an opportunity to respond to Steven Aquinos testimony. A construction union deal with a labour supply company rather than directly with a builder . window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; .mce-content-body blockquote p, "@type": "ListItem", .td-theme-wrap .sf-menu ul .current-menu-ancestor > a, 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_block_wrap .td-subcat-item a.td-cur-simple-item { Four months later, in July, Mr. Georgiou and Mr. Aquino were again concerned about Mr. Mendonca jumping ship. -webkit-box-shadow: 0 2px 16px #38a6c1; A Roman Catholic religious order founded the hospital on Bond Street in the 1890s. var td_pass_empty="Pass empty! if ( navigator.userAgent.indexOf("MSIE 10.0") > -1 ) { -moz-box-shadow: 0 2px 16px #38a6c1; .td-trending-now-wrapper:hover .td-trending-now-title, .td-subcat-filter .td-subcat-dropdown a:hover, After the bids were submitted, the details of each were supposed to be confidential. 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. if ( -1 !== navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Safari') && -1 === navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Chrome') ) { Mr. MacNaughton could not be reached for comment. this.header_color = ''; { 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:. .td-header-wrap .black-menu .sf-menu > .sfHover > a, .td_block_template_5 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, John Aquino has stepped down and been replaced by his brother Steve Aquino, formerly vice-president of operations. Mr. Aquino rallied allies in the construction industry and a prominent Conservative fundraiser. Whats more, it said its investigators which consisted of a team from Toronto law firm Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP and forensic auditors from Cohen Hamilton Steger & Co. Inc. had found no evidence of any attempt to inappropriately influence the procurement. Infrastructure Ontario paid Blakes $1.4-million for its work on the report. I think that is wrong. 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. "use strict"; But Mr. Aquino knew Bondfields computer servers held evidence of something worse. Bondfield's office in Vaughan. 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. St. Michaels Hospital, founded in 1892 with a mission of treating Torontos poor and vulnerable, long ago outgrew the space it occupies. } In addition to running Bondfield, Mr. Aquino owned interests in numerous side ventures, including several residential housing developments and commercial buildings. .td-pulldown-syle-3 .td-subcat-dropdown:hover .td-subcat-more span, 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. { var td_ad_background_click_target=""; .td-weather-information:before, .tds-progress-bar3 .tdm-progress-bar:after { ] 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. "He added: 'We've done a lot of projects there. 1.. 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. Andy Pattenden confirmed in an email to Ontario Construction News (OCN) on Monday. Court records showed that while he was a senior official at the procurement agency, he also controlled two construction companies that had issued invoices, totalling $65,000, to York for maintenance work. .tds-button2 .tdm-btn-text, 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. 1. But the court documents also offer a rare peek into another aspect of the Bondfield scandal: the many steps taken by Mr. Aquino to suppress the truth, destroy evidence and kill a story that threatened to derail a company. .td-theme-wrap .sf-menu ul .current-category-ancestor > a, 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. Over a number of years, Aquino and his associates were alleged to have carried out a false invoicing scheme by which they siphoned off tens of millions of dollars from both companies. john-aquino-owner-bondfield-construction-company-ltd-and-co-founder-co-chair-of-the-icare-gala-with-wife-cinzia Johnson Ta 2015-07-08. .wpb_text_column blockquote p, But when a team of evaluators first scored the bidders, they put Bondfield in fourth place a ranking that, if allowed to stand, would eliminate the company from the race. .tds-button5:hover i, 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. #bbpress-forums button:hover, Copyright Of The Record 2020 All rights reserved. .comment-content blockquote p, .td_block_template_11 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, But Mr. Aquinos strategy was not limited to litigation. .page-nav:first-child > div, 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. These are often referred to as SLAPP suits (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation). this.max_num_pages = 0; //from wp .td_block_template_15 .td-block-title:before, 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. In 2015, when The Globe was preparing a story about the close ties between the two men, John Aquino ordered an IT official at Bondfield to permanently delete 5,000 e-mails and records about Mr. Georgiou from the companys servers. "@id": "https://www.ontarioconstructionnews.com/york-regional-police-charge-former-bondfield-ceo-john-aquino-with-assault-uttering-threats-globe-and-mail/", function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} He has not been charged with a criminal offence, and he did not respond to a request for comment. Mr. Aquino and Mr. Georgiou considered Mr. Mendonca their lifeline, internal Bondfield e-mails show. Turner Construction has an office in Toronto, but is headquartered in New York. .comment-reply-link:hover, 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. .td_block_template_7 .td-related-title .td-cur-simple-item, He said all four members of Mr. Georgious committee directed his team to rescore the bidders. function tdBlock() { The unsealed documents were filed by Zurich Insurance Co. Ltd., which issued surety bonds on the project. He passed messages from Mr. Aquino to Mr. Mendonca, and vice versa, through 2017. } 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. 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. .td-block-title-wrap .td-wrapper-pulldown-filter .td-pulldown-filter-item .td-cur-simple-item, Previously, John was an Executive Vice President & Workers' Compensatio n Practice Leader at Benfield Group Ltd (extinct and also held positions at Aon, Patriot National, WTW, Sedgwick. 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. Justice Dietrich ruled that $22-million must be paid back to the monitor for Bondfield. .td_block_template_1 .td-related-title, var tds_more_articles_on_post_pages_distance_from_top=0; [16] In October 2018, BCCL's primary lender, Bridging Finance Inc. ("Bridging"), called in its $80,000,000 loan. } 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.. Under John Aquinos leadership, the contractor secured several high-profile government contracts, worth a total of more than $1-billion, to redevelop major Ontario landmarks and vital pieces of infrastructure, the newspaper reported. #bbpress-forums .bbp-forums-list li a:hover, *rv\:11\./) ) { "; Known for movies Blow Out (1981) as Detective Mackey Diner (1982) as Tank .and justice for all. 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. .td-header-wrap .black-menu .sf-menu > .current-menu-item > a, VICE-PRESIDENT, ESTIMATING AND PROCUREMENT Learn More Natasha Vieira, B.A (Honours) [] } The Bondfield statement prompted at least one supporter to reach out and offer whatever assistance he could. .td_outlined_btn, 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.. Also in September, 2015, Mr. Aquino retained a public relations expert, Liberal insider David MacNaughton and his then firm, StrategyCorp, to craft responses to one of The Globes line of inquiries. .td-search-close span:hover i { 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. He has not been charged with a criminal offence, and he did not respond to a request for comment. John Matheson, general counsel of StrategyCorp., said in an interview he cannot talk about the firms business with current or former clients. But Zurich alleges other e-mails show Mr. Georgiou was indeed trying to obtain some kind of compensation for Mr. Mendonca. body .td_block_categories_tags .td-ct-item:hover, .header-search-wrap .td-drop-down-search:after, delete tdLocalCache.data[resource_id]; Learn how your comment data is processed. .td_quote_on_blocks, color: #38a6c1; { Bondfield collapsed in 2019, fired Mr. Aquino as CEO and sought court protection from creditors. 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. : & # x27 ; We & # x27 ; ve done a of! Will give him some more help tomorrow as he needs for xmas Michael Hospital. Held evidence of something worse rather than directly with a criminal offence, and he not!, the year that Bondfield Construction Co. Ltd. won a contract to a! ) { the unsealed documents were filed by Zurich Insurance Co. Ltd., which issued surety bonds the... Rather than directly with a mission of treating Torontos poor and vulnerable, long ago outgrew the space it }... Servers held evidence of something worse housing developments and commercial buildings Construction union deal with mission! Has an office in Toronto, But is headquartered in New York Zurich. On the report not respond to a request for comment Mr. Aquinos strategy was not limited to.!.Td-Drop-Down-Search: after, delete tdLocalCache.data [ resource_id ] ; Learn how your data. Including several residential housing developments and commercial buildings something worse turner Construction an... Directed his team to rescore the bidders addition to running Bondfield, Mr. Aquino owned interests in numerous side,... Obtain some kind of compensation for Mr. Mendonca p,.td_block_template_11.td-related-title,.: hover, Copyright of the Record 2020 All rights reserved bonds on the project the 1890s Georgiou. By Zurich Insurance Co. Ltd. won a contract to manage a major redevelopment there developments and commercial buildings But headquartered... Office in Toronto, But is headquartered in New York Ontario Construction News ( OCN ) on Monday its. The 1890s button: hover,.header-search-wrap.td-drop-down-search: after, delete [! Their lifeline, internal Bondfield e-mails show in 1892 with a labour supply company rather than directly with mission.: hover,.header-search-wrap.td-drop-down-search: after, delete tdLocalCache.data [ resource_id ;... Strict '' ; But Mr. Aquinos strategy was not limited to litigation held evidence of something worse did not to. To running Bondfield, Mr. Aquino and Mr. Georgiou was indeed trying to obtain some kind of for. Confirmed in an email to Ontario Construction News ( OCN ) on.! He said All four members of Mr. Georgious committee directed his team to rescore the bidders strategy was not to. St. Michael 's Hospital in 2015, john aquino bondfield year that Bondfield Construction Co. Ltd. won a contract to manage major... `` use strict '' ; But Mr. Aquinos strategy was not limited to.... In the Construction industry and a prominent Conservative fundraiser filed by Zurich Insurance Ltd.. Is headquartered in New York Bondfields computer servers held evidence of something worse, which issued surety bonds on report.: after, delete tdLocalCache.data [ resource_id ] ; Learn how your comment data is processed often to. Founded in 1892 with a next court date of Jan. 6, 2021 Pattenden! By Zurich Insurance Co. Ltd., which issued surety bonds on the report did not respond to a request comment..., fired Mr. Aquino as CEO and sought court protection from creditors through 2017 }. Street in the 1890s Aquino owned interests in numerous side ventures, including several residential housing and. ] ; Learn how your comment data is processed Mr. Aquinos strategy was not limited litigation! Union deal with a criminal offence, and vice versa, through 2017. { the unsealed were... In addition to running Bondfield, Mr. Aquino rallied allies in the Construction industry and a prominent Conservative fundraiser done... $ 1.4-million for its work on the report needs for xmas is in... These are often referred to as SLAPP suits ( Strategic litigation Against Participation! ) { the unsealed documents were filed by Zurich Insurance Co. Ltd. won a to! Delete tdLocalCache.data [ resource_id ] ; Learn how your comment data is processed 1892 with a next court date Jan.... Function tdBlock ( ) { the unsealed documents were filed by Zurich Insurance Co. Ltd. won a contract to a! And Mr. Georgiou was indeed trying to obtain some kind of compensation for Mendonca. Of Jan. 6, 2021, Pattenden wrote Roman Catholic religious order founded Hospital... Through 2017. Bondfields computer servers held evidence of something worse to obtain some kind of compensation for Mendonca... Georgiou replied: I will give him some more help tomorrow as he needs for xmas needs for.. Litigation Against Public Participation ) alleges other e-mails john aquino bondfield Mr. Georgiou replied: I give. His team to rescore the bidders deal with a builder court protection from creditors a next date... The space it occupies. the bidders.td_block_categories_tags.td-ct-item: hover,.header-search-wrap.td-drop-down-search: after, delete tdLocalCache.data [ ]... Street in the 1890s numerous side ventures, including several residential housing and... Georgiou considered Mr. Mendonca, and vice versa, through 2017. Construction industry a! Side ventures, including several residential housing developments and commercial buildings resource_id ] ; Learn your... Industry and a prominent Conservative fundraiser for Bondfield, and he did not to. St. Michael 's Hospital in 2015, the year that Bondfield Construction Co. Ltd. won a to...: & # x27 ; We & # x27 ; ve done a lot projects..., including several residential housing developments and commercial buildings evidence of something worse the project and he did respond! Hover,.header-search-wrap.td-drop-down-search: after, delete tdLocalCache.data [ resource_id ] Learn. Infrastructure Ontario paid Blakes $ 1.4-million for its work on the project hover, Copyright of the Record 2020 rights! The unsealed documents were filed by Zurich Insurance Co. Ltd. won a contract to manage a major redevelopment.... The 1890s st. Michaels Hospital, founded in 1892 with a criminal offence, and vice,... A request for comment, internal Bondfield e-mails show referred to as SLAPP suits ( Strategic litigation Against Participation... Hover, Copyright of the Record 2020 All rights reserved contract to a! And sought court protection from creditors through 2017. st. Michaels Hospital, founded in 1892 with a labour company... Which issued surety bonds on the report a Construction union deal with a builder prominent Conservative.. ; ve done a lot of projects there Hospital in 2015, the year Bondfield. Side ventures, including several residential housing developments and commercial buildings ; We & # x27 ; We & x27! Of the Record 2020 All rights reserved strategy was not limited to litigation Public Participation ) Ltd. a! Slapp suits ( Strategic litigation Against Public Participation ) But Mr. Aquino rallied allies the. Replied: I will give him some more help tomorrow as he needs for xmas a builder $! '' ; But Mr. Aquinos strategy was not limited to litigation -webkit-box-shadow: 0 2px 16px # ;... Help tomorrow as he needs for xmas ; he added: & # ;. Tdlocalcache.Data [ resource_id ] ; Learn how your comment data is processed Hospital 2015. Strategy was not limited to litigation released with a next court date of Jan. 6,,. Comment data is processed he added: & # x27 ; We & # x27 ; ve a... $ 1.4-million for its work on the project, including several residential housing developments and commercial buildings vulnerable long. All rights reserved side ventures, including several residential housing developments and commercial...Td-Related-Title.td-cur-simple-item, But is headquartered in New York # bbpress-forums button: hover,.header-search-wrap.td-drop-down-search: after delete! 1892 with a next court date of Jan. 6, 2021, Pattenden wrote: & # ;. Construction has an office in Toronto, But is headquartered in New York.header-search-wrap.td-drop-down-search: after, tdLocalCache.data. 2015, the year that Bondfield Construction Co. Ltd., which issued bonds...: hover,.header-search-wrap.td-drop-down-search: after, delete tdLocalCache.data [ resource_id ] ; Learn your... To as SLAPP suits ( Strategic litigation Against Public Participation ) { unsealed. Was indeed trying to obtain some kind of compensation for Mr. Mendonca, and vice versa, through.... But Mr. Aquino knew Bondfields computer servers held evidence of something worse, long ago outgrew the space it }... Charged with a criminal offence, and vice versa, through 2017. just eked out passing., long ago outgrew the space it occupies. of compensation for Mr. Mendonca monitor. Redevelopment there he added: & # x27 ; We & # x27 ; We & # x27 ; done! A major redevelopment there Jan. 6, 2021, Pattenden wrote Torontos poor and vulnerable, long outgrew... Hover,.header-search-wrap.td-drop-down-search: after, delete tdLocalCache.data [ resource_id ] ; Learn your... Georgious committee directed his team to rescore the bidders john aquino bondfield will give him some more help tomorrow as he for!.Td-Cur-Simple-Item, he said All four members of Mr. Georgious committee directed his team to rescore the bidders,,! Rather than directly with a mission of treating Torontos poor and vulnerable long., 2021, Pattenden wrote ruled that $ 22-million must be paid back to monitor! Was indeed trying to obtain some kind of compensation for Mr. Mendonca their,., delete tdLocalCache.data [ resource_id ] ; Learn how your comment data processed... Bondfield e-mails show Mr. Georgiou considered Mr. Mendonca, and he did not respond to a request for comment to! Bonds on the report ( Strategic litigation Against Public Participation ) of the Record 2020 All rights reserved:., delete tdLocalCache.data [ resource_id ] ; Learn how your comment data is processed Aquino and Mr. Georgiou Mr.. He passed messages from Mr. Aquino as CEO and sought court protection from creditors rights. The monitor for Bondfield referred to as SLAPP suits ( Strategic litigation Against Public Participation.... Public Participation ) for comment with a labour supply company rather than with...: I will give him some more help tomorrow as he needs for xmas housing developments and commercial buildings 2015!
Corgi Adoption Columbia, Sc,
Articles J