Chombo, Mugabe, and other prominent ZANU-PF politicians were detained by the Zimbabwean military during the 2017 Zimbabwean coup d'état. It was alleged that he was close to the Generation 40 faction led by former First Lady Grace Mugabe. After Mugabe resigned as President of Zimbabwe, allegations emerged that Chombo had been taken to hospital following his treatment in custody. Chombo's lawyer states he was beaten in custody; the police deny this. Chombo faces charges for alleged corruption dating back more than a decade.