Air India probe: War of words between police and politician

Toronto: A war of words is going on between the police and an opposition leader over a recent vote in Canadian Parliament against parts of an anti-terror act that may have an impact over investigations into the 1985 Air India bombing that killed more than 300 people.

Recent vote against parts of the Anti-Terrorism Act has had no impact on the continuing Air India investigations, according to Liberal leader Stephane Dion, but police claimed otherwise.

After the Liberals joined the NDP and Bloc Quebecois in forcing the expiry last month of provisions of the act dealing with investigative hearings and preventive arrests, the head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in British Columbia told 'The Vancouver Sun' the case had suffered "a serious and damaging blow".

Under the hearings provision, brought in by the previous Liberal government and upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada as constitutional, police had the power to call people believed to have information about an act of terrorism to answer questions before a judge.

Deputy Commissioner Gary Bass said police had been preparing for more than two years to use one of the defeated provisions, investigative hearings, to advance the criminal case.

"While I do not dispute that the vote on this critical issue involved perhaps valid considerations beyond the Air India investigation, without doubt, it represents a serious and damaging blow to the interests of the families in this case," Bass said.