(IDEX Online) - Tiffany & Co has filed a forceful court denial over claims by rival Cartier that it had tried to steal its trade secrets."This case presents a truly bizarre circumstance," it says in a preliminary statement to the New York State Supreme Court."Cartier's principal 'evidence' is the affidavit of an ex-employee who confesses she has lied to everyone, including both Cartier and Tiffany, under oath, while being advised by her own counsel."Tiffany says the Cartier lawsuit, filed earlier this month, has "fatal legal deficiencies" and is designed for maximum publicity rather than any genuine relief.Cartier, part of the Richemont group in Switzerland, claims Tiffany hired a junior manager for her knowledge of its high jewelry collection of pieces and fired her five weeks later.Earlier this month it said: "Tiffany's commercial ambition crossed the line between the ordinary course of business and unfair competition."Pic shows Cartier's Fifth Avenue store, in New York.