South Korea's tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. has been fined 400 million won ($354,900) for obstructing the government's mobile phone price-rigging probe, the country's corporate watchdog said Sunday.

The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said the fine is the highest levied on a company so far for hindering an official investigation.

The previous record was held by CJ CheilJedang Corp., the country's leading foodmaker, which was fined 340 million won.

The corporate regulator carried out a probe on the country's mobile phone manufacturers and telecommunications operators who were suspected of illegal activities.

The FTC announced Thursday that it slapped a combined 45.3 billion won in fines on the companies for colluding to inflate the prices of cell phones and then advertising that they were offering considerable discounts. This practice effectively tricked consumers into believing they were getting a bargain for buying new phones.

Of the companies cited for price rigging, Samsung was fined

14.2 billion won.

The government agency said Samsung executives and front-line employees with the help of security personnel delayed granting access to offices and destroyed files that could have shed light on unfair trade practices.

"There were systematic actions by executives and workers to avoid speaking to investigators, as well as concerted efforts to destroy evidence by changing computers or deleting hard drives,"

the corporate regulator said. It added that in some instances, Samsung sent false data and information to mislead the probe.

The FTC, meanwhile, said that it will take a firm stance on future instances of probe obstruction and warned that under revised rules passed by lawmakers last month, individuals who willfully disrupt an official investigation could face a prison sentence of less than three years and a fine of up to 200 million won.(Yonhap News)