Sex claim banker a liar, says boss

The woman banker bringing Britain's biggest ever sex discrimination case was today accused of lying to bolster her claim.

An employment tribunal was told Stephanie Villalba was sacked because of her poor performance after her department lost nearly ?550,000 a week for a year and that she was not treated badly because she was a woman.

Her boss at Merrill Lynch, Aufas Abbas, today flatly denied her claims that she had ever been asked to serve drinks to male executives on a corporate jet and that he had joked about a senior male colleague putting his hand on her thigh during a business conference.

Mr Abbas described as "utter nonsense" Ms Vallalba's claims that he didn't like giving women responsibility and that he expected them to be subservient.

He told how difficulties quickly developed in dealings with Ms Villalba after he became her boss.

"She appeared to be very dependent on higher management support and seemed to find it difficult to make decisions herself."

He was then shocked when Ms Villalba broke down and cried during a business call, complaining that she had been working too hard and that nobody understood the strain she was under.

Ms Villalba, 42, who earned ?1 million at Merrill Lynch, was sacked last July after refusing to accept a new role with the bank. She is seeking ?7.5 million in damages.

She has claimed there was a culture of sexism at the firm. The hearing continues.