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| Mr Boskovski is accused of trying to impress
the US (BBC) |
Police in Croatia have arrested a former Macedonian minister over
allegations he ordered the murders of seven South Asian men in March 2002.
At the time of the deaths, then-Interior Minister Ljube Boskovski said
the men were Islamic militants.
But prosecutors say the men were innocent and their deaths were staged
in an attempt to make Macedonia appear active in the US-led war on terror.
Mr Boskovski, who also has Croatian citizenship, has denied the
charges.
He was arrested in Bale village in Croatia's north-west. He has been
living openly there since May, when he fled Macedonia after Macedonian
authorities issued a warrant
for his arrest.
Six other men, including several police officers, have also been
charged with the murders of the six Pakistanis and one Indian months after
the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US.
Mr Boskovski says he has taped proof that the men were planning
terrorist attacks and "absolutely" denies allegations that the killings
were staged.
At the time, Macedonia was recovering from serious fighting between its
security forces and mainly Muslim Albanian militants.
Croatian law does not allow the extradition of its citizens for
trials abroad.
However, Macedonian authorities on Monday transferred the handling of
the case to Croatia.
A Croatian judge will now assess Macedonia's case against Mr Boskovski
and decide whether to order a trial or drop the charges.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2004-09-01 15:08