Channel Register®

Original URL: http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2005/09/21/samsung_fined_ftc/

Korean regulator fines Samsung

Faking documents

By John Oates

Posted in IT Channel, 21st September 2005 08:41 GMT

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South Korean regulators have fined electronics giant Samsung for obstucting investigators looking for evidence of price fixing and dodgy contracts with suppliers.

The Fair Trade Commission accused Samsung of working with a chip subsidiary Semes to forge or destroy relevant documents.

A spokesman for the FTC said: "Samsung Electronics has obstructed our investigation into unfair contracting practices with its subsidiary, Semes, by destroying or fabricating documents.", AFP reports. The regulator also accused Samsung of issuing secret guidelines for staff on how to handle investigators.

The company is also accused of deliberately crashing its internal computer network to slow down the work of investigators.

The fine is for 60m Korean Won, about $58,000.

More at the Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2005/09/21/200509210041.asp). ®