Authorities displayed the weapons seized from the "militants"

A warrant was issued after Ljube Boskovski failed to attend a hearing.

Officials recently said that the seven, initially alleged to be militants, were illegal immigrants shot in cold blood.

It was apparently an attempt, officials say, to show that Macedonia was serious about participating in the US-led war on terror.

At the time, the interior ministry said the seven - six Pakistanis and an Indian - had been killed after trying to ambush police in the capital, Skopje.

But a police spokeswoman said on Monday they had in fact been shot in a "staged murder".

Questions asked

When the incident was reported more than two years ago, it was claimed that a new front had opened up in the war on terror.

The Macedonian interior ministry said the seven men of Pakistani origin were killed after opening fire on a police patrol with machine guns.

Mr Boskovski said the dead men had been planning attacks on vital installations and embassies.

But questions soon began to be asked about the authorities' version of events.

Police spokeswoman Mirjana Konteska told the Associated Press news agency on Monday that the victims were illegal immigrants who had been lured into Macedonia by promises that they would be taken to western Europe.

She said they were transported to the Rastanski Lozja area, about 5km north of Skopje, where they were surrounded and gunned down by police.

"They lost their lives in a staged murder," she said.

Ms Konteska told AP the investigation was continuing and more suspects could be charged.

If convicted, they face between 10 years and life in prison.