US Government might have paid double in 'high risk' virus research support to Wuhan

Covid-19 virus lab Wuhan, China

US taxpayers may have been double-billed for coronavirus research grants to labs in Wuhan, which might have triggered the Covid-19 pandemic, DailyMail reported citing an investigation.

Diane Cutler, a former federal investigator for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, revealed evidence that leads to the 'possible theft' of tens of millions of Government money, according to the report.

The funds were used to pay staff and purchase medical supplies and equipment for the Wuhan labs at the centre of the Covid genesis story controversy.

The 'risky research' was bankrolled by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Cutler, who said she reviewed 50,000 documents on the matter, told CBS News, "What I’ve found so far is evidence that points to double billing, potential theft of government funds."

The Biosafety Level 4 Wuhan lab previously received a $3.7 million research grant from the US government.

An official watchdog criticised the NIH earlier this year for failing to monitor US-sponsored virus trials in China.

Leading scientists had previously disregarded the lab-leak claim as a hoax before Senate hearings on the Covid-19 origins brought it back to the forefront.

The FBI and Energy Department recently declared that an accidental leak from the lab is plausible.

Cutler was investigating US government funding for coronavirus-related studies conducted in China prior to the epidemic.

As per the report, Republican Senator Roger Marshall employed Cutler and provided USAID's internal watchdog with her documents so that they might launch their own probe.

Cutler said that it might take the entire investigation up to six months.

Citing sources who spoke to CBS News, the report noted that the overpayments could amount to tens of millions of dollars.