Mr Obeid's silk, Sydney barrister Braddon Hughes, has told the Supreme Court jury that the former MP had an "indirect" interest in the cafes via a family trust but "no absolute right" to receive any profits. On Monday a former director of the company that operated the cafes, Paul Maroon, told the Supreme Court he prepared envelopes of cash from the cafe's weekly takings "as instructed" and wrote "Dad" or "Passy" on them. He said the envelopes were collected by Mr Obeid's eldest son, Damian, who has previously given evidence that he gave the money to his mother, Judith, for housekeeping. Mr Maroon said the weekly payments started at $750 in late 2007 and later increased to $1000. The court heard that an email in 2008 to Mr Maroon from one of Mr Obeid's daughters, Gemma, also referred to "my mum and dad's payments".

Mr Hughes accused Mr Maroon of being willing to "say anything" to stop being questioned and asked why he had not given this evidence earlier in the trial. Mr Maroon blamed his "very poor memory". "You never gave Mr Eddie Obeid any cash?" Mr Hughes asked. "No," Mr Maroon said. Mr Maroon said he "took it upon himself" to search for records on his office computer in Gladesville on Friday and he had found a spreadsheet that detailed the payments alongside the word "Dad". Asked again if he was willing "to say anything to stop being questioned", Mr Maroon retorted: "I don't enjoy being up here – do you?"

"I ask the questions; you answer them," Mr Hughes snapped. Mr Maroon agreed that envelopes marked "Passy" could easily have been for Mrs Obeid. The court has heard that the state maritime authority was strongly in favour of offering a group of Circular Quay retail leases – including two linked to the Obeids – to the open market when they expired in August 2005. The former chief executive of the authority, Chris Oxenbould, has given evidence that he became aware "well after the fact" that Mr Obeid had approached his deputy in the department, Steve Dunn, in 2007 about meeting a mediator acting for a number of disgruntled tenants including an Obeid-linked company. The court has heard Mr Dunn was unaware at the time that Mr Obeid had an interest in the leases. The leases were renewed in 2008 without a competitive tender.

The trial continues.