Obeid son denies cash payments

Eddie Obeid's eldest son has denied giving the former NSW minister cash payments from the Obeid brothers' Circular Quay businesses but says he gave about $1000 a week to his mother for "housekeeping money".

Returning for a second day to give evidence at his father's NSW Supreme Court misconduct trial, Damian Obeid testified his mother Judith Obeid received on average $1000-$1200 in cash each week over a period spanning 20 years, payments that continue to this day.

After late 2002 the cash payments were taken from the takings of newly-purchased Circular Quay businesses, put into envelopes marked "mum" or "JO" and delivered by Damian Obeid to his mother's Hunters Hill mansion each Thursday in time for late night shopping, the court heard.

Mr Obeid said the payments were made partly because his mother's home had been used as security for a $3.4 million loan partially used to buy the leases, and also because "we'd been doing it for many, many years prior and we continue to do it today".

Crown prosecutor Peter Neil SC suggested cash from the businesses was on many occasions also put into envelopes - marked "dad" or "EO" or "Passy" (the name of the Hunters Hill home) - which Damian Obeid gave to his father.

"No," Mr Obeid replied.

"Never any occasion?"

"Never any occasion," he said.

Eddie Obeid, 72, has pleaded not guilty to wilfully committing misconduct in public office by not declaring his personal interest in the Circular Quay leases between August and November 2007.

The crown says Obeid failed to disclose his and his sons' financial interests when he asked Maritime Authority deputy chief executive Steve Dunn to meet a negotiator about a long-running dispute regarding lease renewal.

The trial continues.