The Crown in the Mike Duffy trial may be hurting its own case by calling the prime minister鈥檚 former chief of staff Nigel Wright to the stand, a criminal lawyer said after Wright鈥檚 first day at court.

Ottawa criminal lawyer Michael Spratt that Wright鈥檚 testimony is having the opposite effect of what the Crown was probably hoping for.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a bit of an ironic situation that we find ourselves in,鈥� said Spratt. 鈥淭his is about quid pro quo, and corruption, and sort of nefarious dealing, and Nigel Wright seems to testify that it was quite the opposite.鈥�

In his testimony, Wright said Prime Minister Stephen Harper was not aware that Wright would help Duffy repay his questionable Senate expenses by writing him a $90,000 personal cheque.

That testimony, Spratt said, doesn鈥檛 do much for the Crown鈥檚 case.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 sound a lot like a bribery and a fraud from what Mr. Wright said,鈥� Spratt explained. 鈥淏ut we do know that Mr. Duffy has a different perspective.鈥�

Spratt recalled Duffy鈥檚 speech on the floor of the Senate in October 2013 where he described a 鈥渕onstrous scheme鈥� to cover up the repayment. He expects Duffy鈥檚 lawyer Donald Bayne will continue to depict the deal as a scheme, despite Wright鈥檚 testimony suggesting otherwise.

鈥淚 expect what we鈥檒l see is what Mr. Bayne does best,鈥� said Spratt. 鈥淗e鈥檒l challenge Mr. Wright, I think, and try to paint this, maybe counterintuitively, as some sort of larger scheme that Mr. Duffy was perhaps forced to take part in.鈥�

Duffy faces 31 charges, including fraud, bribery and breach of trust. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

All three major federal leaders were asked about the Duffy trial on the campaign trail Wednesday. While NDP Leader Tom Mulcair and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau jumped at the opportunity to use the trial as political leverage against Harper, the Conservative leader maintained that he did not know about the $90,000 cheque.

Spratt expects Harper鈥檚 name will come up a lot more in courtroom 33, as the Duffy trial continues.

鈥淚 expect they鈥檒l hear the prime minister鈥檚 name a lot more going forward,鈥� said Spratt.