By Patrick Nduwimana

BUJUMBURA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Burundi's state prosecutor has called for a 15-year prison sentence for the former head of the ruling party and six other suspects accused of conspiring to launch a rebellion.

Hussein Radjabu, the once powerful former chairman of President Pierre Nkurunziza's CNDD-FDD party, was arrested in April and charged with fomenting insurgency.

He denies the charge.

Prosecutor Charles Ndagijimana said in a hearing late on Friday that Radjabu had met 40 former fighters at his home in Bujumbura last March to raise an army against the tiny central African nation's government.

When asked by Burundi's High Court what sentence he recommended for Radjabu and his six co-accused, he replied:

"Prison for 15 years. I've presented strong evidence including seized guns and recorded tapes proving that the seven men had planned to destabilise the country's security."

Radjabu said he is the victim of a political campaign.

"I and my colleagues here are victims of a political coup within the ruling party," he said. "In February last year, the party decided to remove me from the leadership. Now my political enemies within the ruling party want to neutralise me."

In his heyday, Radjabu was seen as the real power behind Nkurunziza, with control of public finances.

In 2006, a number of opposition politicians, including former President Domicien Ndayizeyewere, were put on trial for an alleged coup plot but were acquitted due to a lack of evidence.

Radjabu, who at that time controlled intelligence services, was widely seen as orchestrating that trial. (Editing by Tim Cocks and Michael Winfrey)

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