OTTAWA — Stephen Harper's former chief of staff, Nigel Wright, has begun his testimony at the trial of embattled Sen. Mike Duffy.
Wright arrived at the Ottawa courthouse in a taxi to face a crush of cameras.
He strode past a throng of reporters with his lawyer, Peter Mantas, before taking the stand to tell his long-awaited story in a courtroom debut that's expected to be rich in legal and political drama.
Clad in a slim dark suit and striped tie, the lawyer and businessman smiled politely at times as he made his way into the building but declined to comment about the case.
"I think we have to respect the questions that will be answered on the inside," he said.
Wright even chatted amiably with members of the media outside the courtroom before the trial resumed.
Wright has lived his life away from the public eye since he left his job as Prime Minister Stephen Harper's right-hand man. Sources close to him have said he "just wants to get back to his life" and put the controversy behind him.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the matter, say he simply wants to provide as much information as he can.
Wright gave Duffy the infamous $90,000 to assist with the repayment of the senator's dubious expense filings. That transaction is at the heart of three of the 31 criminal charges that Duffy is now fighting in court.
Duffy's lawyer, Donald Bayne, said his team will have to "find out in the courtroom" how Wright's testimony will influence the trial.
"We have lots of questions," Bayne said.
Wright was investigated by the RCMP but the Mounties did not lay charges.
