Chancy Chirwa, a 23-year-old sales lady at Simama General Dealers in Ntchisi, has been arrested by the police.

The arrest follows complaints from a business person, Chikumbutso Kapanda, who claimed to have ordered one bale of sugar at MK57,500 instead of the recommended price of MK37,500.

Investigations revealed that Chirwa had been independently overcharging customers, resulting in significant financial losses, estimated at K2 million, for Kapanda.

Chirwa will soon face theft charges in court in connection with the alleged overpricing scheme.

The incident prompted a demonstration by other business people led by councilor Mark Mphezi Mtengo, expressing concerns over inflated commodity prices at the shop.