The trial of a former Justice Minister accused of Genocide has ended with the prosecution requesting the court to sentence her to life imprisonment.

Agnes Ntamabyariro is the only member of the former interim government during the genocide to be tried by a Rwandan court for her alleged role in the 1994 killings.

"She has a number of charges against her. If she is guilty, we would prefer she be sentenced to maximum life imprisonment basing on the evidence we have. But of course we have to be within the law,” Augustine Nkusi, Spokesman  of the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA),, told The New Times Friday.

Ntamabyariro is accused of having been among the planners the 1994 Genocide of Tutsis and inciting the population to commit the crime.

She is charged with planning genocide, holding meetings in Nyanza and Kibuye to plan and organise the genocide, distribution of weapons and the assassination of Jean Baptiste Habyarimana, the former Governor of Butare.

Nkusi said that the verdict will be pronounced on January 19, 2009.

Ntamabyariro whose trial started in 2006, was arrested in Zambia in 1997.  She is represented by Emmanuel Nsengiyumva, Prosecution requested for the same sentence for former Prosecutor and co-defendant , Jean Leonard Hategekimana.

On November 4 this year, the accused had to defend herself against new elements brought to her case relating to her role as an approving spectator during the genocide and initiator of the genocidal government.

According to prosecution, Ntamabyariro and Hategekimana, ordered the assassination of Jean Baptiste Habyarimana who was opposed to the Genocide in his Province.

She is said to have taken part in the April 8, 1994 crisis committee meeting presided over by Theoneste Bagosora currently facing Genocide charges before the ICTR.

According to prosecution other participants  in the said meeting included General Augustin Ndindiliyimana, Colonel Tharcisse Renzaho, Prime Minister Jean Kambanda and President Theodore Sindikubwabo.

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