BEIRUT: Former President Amin Gemayel has criticized Interior Minister Marwan Charbel for dismissing his concerns over an assassination plot targeting his son, the National News Agency reported.

This was in response to a plot against Metn MP Sami Gemayel that was revealed Thursday.

Speaking to Voice of Lebanon, Amin Gemayel, who is the leader of the Kataeb Party, said, “I was taken aback when I heard the words of the minister of the interior … This information concerns threats on the life of a citizen ... the situation threatens to destabilize Lebanon’s security and stability.”

He added: "It seems that the minister of the interior has forgotten that I lost my dear oldest son Pierre. The circumstances are well known. And now comes a threat to my youngest son Sami … Is this not important to the lives of citizens and to [national] stability?”

Sami's older brother Pierre was assassinated in broad daylight in the Metn neighborhood of Jdeideh in 2006.

On Thursday, several news sources reported that a plot to assassinate Sami Gemayel had been uncovered. Yesterday, when asked about the issue, Charbel appeared to play it down, saying "It was not an assassination attempt, but a warning of the possibility of something. It is our duty to alert politicians and take precautions through analysis of security information we receive. What happened was a misunderstanding, and we hope it will not get confused or exaggerated.”

On Thursday, security sources told The Daily Star that “Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi telephoned [Sami] Gemayel, asking him to take the necessary precautions because he was threatened by an alleged assassination plot that would target him in the Metn town of Ain Safsaf.”

The report came less than a week after other intelligence reports said there are alleged assassination plots targeting senior security officials and politicians, mainly March 14 leaders.