Former US top health official Dr. Anthony Fauci has been questioned by the US Senate over allegations that he spread misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic and withheld accurate information from the public.

Fauci was questioned regarding the origin of the COVID-19 virus. However, he refused to answer some questions, stating that attempts were being made to portray him as guilty through false allegations and contradictory claims.

Republican Senator Rand Paul, who led the investigation, accused Fauci of being motivated by personal hostility and claimed that the committee was convened with the intention of seeking criminal punishment against him.

Republicans have long accused Fauci of hiding information about the pandemic and providing misleading statements about its risks. Fauci has strongly denied these allegations.

US President Donald Trump has claimed on social media that he had always stated that the COVID-19 virus originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, China, and criticised Fauci.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the theory of a natural origin, where the virus spread from animals to humans, remains better supported.

Meanwhile, foreign media reported that Senator Rand Paul released several diary entries belonging to Fauci from the pandemic period.

According to the reports, the notes indicate that while Fauci believed the virus likely had a natural origin, he also remained open to the possibility of a laboratory-related incident during the early stages.

Investigations into Dr. Anthony Fauci are reportedly continuing.