The Air India inquiry has adjourned until September after a key mystery witness refused to testify and another secondary witness suffered a heart attack.
The inquiry has been probing what took place leading up to the deadly 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182, that left 329 people dead.
Former Supreme Court justice John Major, who is heading the inquiry, met behind closed doors with the key witness and other secondary witnesses who all refused to testify out of fear for their safety.
However, the mystery witnesses wouldn't even discuss the matter in private, said CTV's Roger Smith.
"Word went out yesterday that there would be some very interesting testimony today at the inquiry but it appears that the secret witnesses got cold feet," Smith told Â鶹´«Ã½net.
"Commissioner John Major ... went in-camera with these witnesses early this morning trying to find a way that they could testify.
"But one of these witnesses had a heart attack and a key witness who they hoped would testify in-camera, and then again publicly, refused to testify even in camera, even in private," Smith said.
They refused to take the stand because the commissioner could not provide the safety and security that the witnesses felt they needed because of the explosive nature of their testimony, he added.
Major said that even if the witnesses spoke in secret, it is still possible that their testimony could eventually get out. For example, journalists could file Access to Information requests or launch lawsuits to get at the information, putting the witnesses at risk of reprisals.
"We can't assure them of confidentiality," said Major.
"All in all, it leaves the witnesses apprehensive of their safety and (that of) others if they testify, even at an in-camera hearing. And I can do nothing to assure them that is not the case."
There has been no official confirmation on the identity of the witnesses or what they were expected to testify about. However, it is believed that the witnesses had information about the bomb plot in which Sikh extremists downed the plane in 1985 off the coast of Ireland.
The witness who suffered the heart attack Wednesday was taken to hospital, but no further details were provided.
"Lawyers for the family expressed disappointment that this testimony could not be heard," Smith said.
"Efforts will be made during the summer to try to find some way for these witnesses to testify, but at this point we do not know who these mystery witnesses were and we do not know the exact subject matter of what they were going to speak about."
Until now, the inquiry has been dealing with the pre-bombing phase. When it resumes in the fall it will be probing the post-bombing phase, looking into what went wrong with the investigation and why it took so long to find answers, Smith said.
With files from The Canadian Press
