In an email to the prosecution and defence today, High Court deputy registrar Catherine Nicholas said trial judge Zaini Mazlan will deliver the ruling on March 3.

No reason was given for the adjournment.

Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib confirmed the new decision date.

Zaini was elevated to the Court of Appeal bench yesterday, together with five others.

He had fixed the Jan 30 date after hearing oral submissions from parties on Nov 16.

Ad hoc prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram is leading the prosecution team, while the former prime minister is represented by lawyer Shafee Abdullah, and Arul Kanda by N Sivananthan.

The trial began on Nov 18, 2019.

The prosecution closed its case on Sept 7 after calling 16 witnesses, including the late Ali Hamsa, former chief secretary to the government.

The other witnesses who took the stand were former auditors-general Ambrin Buang and Madinah Mohamad, former 1MDB chairman Bakke Salleh, and former National Audit Department audit director Saadatul Nafisah Bashir Ahmad.

Najib is accused of abusing his power to obtain immunity from legal action and causing amendments to the finalised 1MDB audit report before it was tabled before the PAC.

Arul Kanda is accused of abetting him in the commission of the alleged offence.

The offence was allegedly committed at the Prime Minister’s Department in Putrajaya between Feb 22 and 26, 2016.

Najib is currently serving a 12-year jail term at Kajang prison after the Federal Court affirmed his conviction on seven corruption charges in the SRC International case on Aug 23.