Former engineer admits doctoring inspection report on Algo mall
A former engineer admitted he altered his inspection report about the Algo Centre Mall but said it was at the request of his client.
In his report, submitted May 3, 2012, Robert Wood gave a thumbs-up to the mall’s leaky parking deck.
Part of the mall caved in on June 23, killing Doloris Perizzolo, 74, and Lucie Aylwin, 37, and injuring 22 others.
Wood said mall owner Robert Nazarian asked for the removal of two photos and the phrases "ongoing" and "particular concern" from the description of leakage at the mall.
"The substance of the report didn’t change," Wood insisted during his second day of testimony at the inquiry on Friday.
Wood said he made changes with the belief Nazarian would rectify the concerns raised by the information removed.
The images taken out were of a heavily corroded steel beam beneath Zellers and tarps used to collect water leakage in the store.
Commission counsel Bruce Carr-Harris said Rob McCowan, who was looking to buy the shopping centre in 2011, testified that Wood warned him the mall's roof would collapse if a long-term fix wasn't found.
"I don't even know who that is," Wood said and denied saying the mall would collapse.
Before he departed the witness stand, Wood read a prepared statement.
"I deeply regret that I did not foresee and could not predict the tragic events,” he said. “The loss of lives and injuries at the mall was avoidable had information been shared.”
Former engineer admits doctoring inspection report on Algo mall | Home | Toronto Sun
I hope these two face criminal charges out of this. Altering an engineering report and trusting in someone who asked you to alter an official document to actually make repairs for what has been altered in the report are criminal. They might as well have killed those women themselves.
A former engineer admitted he altered his inspection report about the Algo Centre Mall but said it was at the request of his client.
In his report, submitted May 3, 2012, Robert Wood gave a thumbs-up to the mall’s leaky parking deck.
Part of the mall caved in on June 23, killing Doloris Perizzolo, 74, and Lucie Aylwin, 37, and injuring 22 others.
Wood said mall owner Robert Nazarian asked for the removal of two photos and the phrases "ongoing" and "particular concern" from the description of leakage at the mall.
"The substance of the report didn’t change," Wood insisted during his second day of testimony at the inquiry on Friday.
Wood said he made changes with the belief Nazarian would rectify the concerns raised by the information removed.
The images taken out were of a heavily corroded steel beam beneath Zellers and tarps used to collect water leakage in the store.
Commission counsel Bruce Carr-Harris said Rob McCowan, who was looking to buy the shopping centre in 2011, testified that Wood warned him the mall's roof would collapse if a long-term fix wasn't found.
"I don't even know who that is," Wood said and denied saying the mall would collapse.
Before he departed the witness stand, Wood read a prepared statement.
"I deeply regret that I did not foresee and could not predict the tragic events,” he said. “The loss of lives and injuries at the mall was avoidable had information been shared.”
Former engineer admits doctoring inspection report on Algo mall | Home | Toronto Sun
I hope these two face criminal charges out of this. Altering an engineering report and trusting in someone who asked you to alter an official document to actually make repairs for what has been altered in the report are criminal. They might as well have killed those women themselves.
