In documents filed recently in the Court of Queen’s Bench, the City of Winnipeg states that the director of the police headquarters construction project, Ossama AbouZeid, received a $ 105,000 bribe from the contractor responsible for the project.
The allegation is part of a notice of motion filed on May 4 in Winnipeg’s case against the contractor responsible for the construction project, Armik Babakhanians, his company Caspian and a dozen other defendants.
Winnipeg launched the proceedings in 2020, accusing the defendants of being involved in a scheme of fraud, embezzlement and kickbacks related to the construction of the police headquarters.
A recent Queen’s Bench Court decision in the case indicates that former City of Winnipeg chief executive Phil Seegl received a $ 327,000 bribe from Mountain Construction, a company controlled by Armik Babakhanian.
According to the City, while he was the director of the construction project, Ossama AbouZeid and his company Dunmore received $ 105,000 from Mountain Construction.
In its most recent court appearance, the City said Mountain Construction transferred the funds to Mr.
Winnipeg said the funds have already been donated know that Dunmore and/or Mr. Abouzeid are agents of the City at the time the bribes were given, with the intent of influencing them to give the defendants unfair benefits.
The City states in the documents that Mr. AbouZeid and Dunmore is conspiring with Armik Babakhanian and former Winnipeg GM Phil Sheegl. Winnipeg says Mr. Sheegl arranged for a Winnipeg Police Service employee to replace Mr. AbouZeid who was in charge of the project.
The documents also include email exchanges between Mr. Babakhanian and Peter Chang, who worked for structural engineering firm Adjeleian Allen Rubeli. He was also sued by the City.
In 2012, Mr. wrote. Chang to Mr. Babakhanians expressing his failures at the headquarters project, again according to court documents filed by the City.
” I have Ossama there because he has no other value but to do everything that is asked of him and he is also part of a committee on some municipal affairs. “
Ossama AbouZeid’s lawyers refused to address the bribery allegations. We have no comment […] We will answer in court […] Our client denies all wrongdoing and honestly, he is not in the middle of a disputesaid Mr. Abouzeid’s attorney Jamie Kagan.
A subcontractor was also accused
The current Chief Executive of the City of Winnipeg, Michael Jack, also states that a sub-contractor, Peter Giannuzzi Jr., received $ 1 million in income from the project.
According to documents filed in court in May, Mr. Giannuzzi junior received two payments of $ 500,000 from Mountain Construction.
Mr. Jack says the City of Winnipeg obtained a copy of an email exchange between Mr. Giannuzzi and Armik Babakhanian’s son, Shaun Babakhanians, which the City also sued.
In a spreadsheet attached to the exchange, Peter Giannuzzi talks junior minor renovations of personal accommodation reduced in value projects and of income from the project The construction of Police HQ cost approximately $ 12.5 million.
According to the spreadsheet, the expected total compensation from Mr. Giannuzzi is just over $ 1.6 million.
His father, Peter Giannuzzi senior, and a numbered company he owns are also shareholders in another company pursued by Winnipeg, Fabca-PMG Projects. This company was incorporated in 2013, during the construction of the headquarters.
The services of forensic accountant Victor Neufeld were retained by the City to audit police headquarters files. His affidavit states that Caspian charged the City $ 20.7 million for work done by the de Fabca-PMG Projects.
” It is unclear how Fabca managed, without external support, to complete the amount of work charged, when Fabca only had four employees with the required security clearance to land on site. “
Giannuzzi and Mr. refused to answer. Babakhanians questions from CBC/Radio-Canada. The case is still in the Court of Queen’s Bench.
Source: Radio-Canada
