Assistant Commissioner Anthony Whealy, QC, said: ''The expression 'had an interest in', particularly when coming from Mr Obeid, would be likely to be a reference to a pecuniary interest?'' Eddie Obeid: Interests in Circular Quay businesses. Credit:Kate Geraghty ''They were my words … and what I intended in the use of the word 'interest' was that he was interested in the issues,'' Mr Tripodi replied. ''You don't think that evidence is a bit of a long shot?'' Mr Whealy said. ''No sir, it's the truth, and that's why I've asked to come back here,'' Mr Tripodi said.

Mr Tripodi's deputy chief of staff, Lynne Ashpole, gave evidence last month that Mr Tripodi knew Mr Obeid owned or ''had an interest in'' retail leases in Circular Quay when he renewed them without a tender in 2009. Her testimony prompted the ICAC to widen its investigation into Mr Obeid's harbourside business interests to include Mr Tripodi. Asked if he had wanted to return to the ICAC because he thought he might ''dig [himself] out of a hole'', Mr Tripodi said: ''No commissioner, this is very serious.'' He claimed he remembered the ''actual words'' he used when talking to Ms Ashpole the day after he gave evidence on November 1. Outside the ICAC, Mr Tripodi was asked what had prompted his recall of the conversation. He stared straight ahead and refused to answer the question. Later on Wednesday, the former head of the NSW Department of Water and Energy, Mark Duffy, told the ICAC he had ''never done Mr Obeid a favour of any sort''.

The commission is investigating whether Mr Duffy asked for a water licensing officer to be sacked in 2008 after she argued with Mr Obeid's son Damian over unusually generous water rights that were later granted over the family's Bylong Valley farm. He said the Newcastle office where she worked had a ''toxic culture'' and he ''suspected I wanted the whole of the Newcastle office sacked''. Former water department bureaucrat Steve Dunn, who is also under investigation, said he did ask for information about the licences for Mr Obeid but denied he was doing him a favour.