Police in Chitipa have arrested a sales clerk for Smallholder Farmers Fertilizer Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) and guards over the theft of K54 million realised from the sales of Affordable Input Program (AIP).

Police have confirmed of the theft of the money at Thawale SFFRFM depot in Chitipa.

According to the police in the district, it is believed the incident happened in the wee hours of 24th January as security guards at the premises took shelter due to heavy downpour.

In the morning, according to the police, it was discovered that locks to a room where the money was kept were tampered with and the sales clerk was alerted.

The sales clerk, Takondwa Mtambo told the police the cash chest which had money for sales from the 17th January to the 23rd January was missing.

Police have since arrested Mtambo as she could not say why she kept money for several days at the depot without informing her superiors, saying she was supposed to handover money for each day to her superiors.

The police are also questioning the guards over the matter.