Mtisi Gift, one of Zimbabwe’s human rights lawyers, said he was accused of defrauding, adding that they were awaiting a full list of charges.
“He is still being put out and is likely to appear in court on Saturday after spending time in police custody,” Gift told CNN.
Earlier Friday, Chin’ono posted on his Twitter account that police had arrested him at home and wrote that he was charged with ‘false communication’.
Chin’ono was granted bail in September 2020, after more than a month in jail, several court appearances where he was charged in July with inciting violence before a planned protest against the government – a charge his lawyers deny.
As part of his strict bail conditions, Chin’ono was banned on social media and is not allowed to leave the capital Harare.
The second arrest took place in November of the same year, where he was arrested for obstruction of justice, as well as disregarding the country’s national prosecuting authority.
According to Amnesty International, the journalist is investigating allegations of corruption in connection with the acquisition of Covid-19 supplies by the Ministry of Health.
Doctors in Zimbabwe regularly complain about inadequate protective equipment in their fight against Covid-19 as cases increase and the country fights a new wave of infections.
After the Christmas holidays, Zimbabwe recorded an increase in infections and deaths in Covid-19, raising fears of an already fragile healthcare system.
The government has urged citizens to keep the lock, which includes movement restrictions for all services except the most important.
The reopening of schools has been postponed indefinitely following a Covid-19 outbreak in schools last term, while shops are only open daily until 3pm.
A twilight-to-dawn evening clock is also in place to avoid night gatherings and events.