Daniel Taylor can not remember many of his recorded conversations put to him about his alleged involvement in a tobacco smuggling ring, a Federal Court has been told.
Mr Taylor, also known as Daniel Ibrahim, is suing Nationwide News over a 24-page spread published in The Sunday Telegraph on June 23, 2019.
The article referred to Michael Ibrahim's involvement in a drug and tobacco smuggling ring and to Mr Taylor being acquitted of a charge of illegally handling $2.25 million in cash linked to the operation.
His description as the "wise guy" son of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim in the cover spread "Inside the house of Ibrahim Unauthorised" could mean smart alec or, that he was involved in organised crime, his barrister Kieran Smark SC earlier said.
On Tuesday, The Telegraph's lawyer Dauid Sibtain questioned Mr Taylor on recorded telephone interceptions where key players allegedly involved in the black market operation were involved.
In a conversation with his uncle Michael Ibrahim, Mr Taylor said he sounded "very high" on cannabis and pain killers and could not remember a conversation about the alleged tobacco ring.
His text message saying "I don't give a f*** what happens," related to the cut in profit following the illegal operation, Mr Sibtain suggested.
"No, I don't agree," Mr Taylor said.
Another secretly recorded communication between Mr Taylor and an alleged tobacco smuggler shows the pair planning to meet up at a Rose Bay cafe in Sydney, but Taylor denies they did.
"I had other things to do," he said.
"Wouldn't you say, if you had other things to do, you would say so?" Mr Sibtain said.
"I don't recall," Taylor said.
While he had a strained relationship with his father, he was close to his uncle Michael who gave him the $17,000 bond to set up a cafe, he earlier told the court.
But the cafe worker became depressed and saddened after the publication of the newspaper article, struggling to believe it could print such an article without getting any comment from him or his solicitor.
"I had a fear of going out in public to avoid being recognised by people," Mr Taylor said on Monday.
The hearing continues before Justice Anna Katzmann.
