The former CEO of a construction company and a disgraced hospital executive have been convicted of fraud by a judge who found they worked secretly behind the scenes to enhance the company’s chances of winning the competition for a $300-million renovation contract at Toronto’s downtown St. Michael’s Hospital.

Evidence that Vas Georgiou and John Aquino “acted dishonestly over the procurement process is overwhelming,” Superior Court Justice Peter Bawden said, reading an overview of his 135-page judgment on Tuesday.

“Public confidence in the responsible use of public funds for infrastructure projects depends on a procurement process that is genuinely competitive,” Bawden said.

“The defendants’ dishonest conduct compromised this objective and placed the Sponsors’ investment in fair procureme

See Full Page