During a bombshell day in court, a defence lawyer alleged that a Toronto hospital executive had asked a construction company CEO to pay a bribe to ensure his firm would win a $300-million St. Michael’s Hospital redevelopment contract — but that John Aquino had refused to play ball.
Aquino’s Bondfield Construction Ltd. eventually won the contract anyway; he and a different hospital executive — Vas Georgiou, St. Mike’s then-chief administrative officer — are on trial in downtown Toronto for fraud related to their actions during the competition. Both have pleaded not guilty.