Two crooks facing charges stemming from the $300m redevelopment of Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital have been convicted.
Vas Georgiou, former chief administrative officer of St. Michael’s Hospital, and John Aquino, the former president of Bondfield Construction Co. Ltd. have been convicted of fraud.
Vas Georgiou
“The evidence that the defendants acted dishonestly over the course of the procurement process is overwhelming,” Superior Court Justice Peter Bawden said in his decision. Bawden said the entire process of tendering contracts for public works was put at risk. “Their actions demonstrate that even a well-regulated process may be susceptible to corruption at senior levels.”
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Asked if he had any comment after the verdict, John Aquino told CBC News: “Are you fucking kidding?” |
The two men worked behind the scenes between 2013 and 2015 to tilt the procurement process in favour of the Aquino family’s company, Bondfield. Georgiou had a conflict of interest that he failed to disclose. Prosecutors presented evidence that the men communicated confidential information about the bidding process, with Georgiou having access to a bondfield.com email address and a BlackBerry phone that Aquino supplied. The illicit communications deprived the hospital and the Ontario government of a fair contracting process.
The hospital project is seven years behind schedule and has resulted in scores of lawsuits, as well as the criminal charges.
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