THE changing of the evidence of an alleged kidnap victim and the non-appearance of the police complainant in a kidnapping enquiry caused five men to walk free yesterday.

Steven Vialva, Anslem Joachim, Kerron Powell, Don Baptiste and Lennox Hospedales were jubilant yesterday as they left the Court.

They appeared before Fourth B Court Magistrate Avason Quinlan charged with kidnapping Christopher Mohammed at Boundary Road, San Juan on October 29.

PC Ramkissoon of the Barataria Police Station had laid the indictable charge.

The men were defended by Senior Counsel Theodore Guerra.

On November 24, Mohammed had testified that he met the five men at San Juan and left to purchase a firearm.

The five men were robbed while he was gone and accused Mohammed of orchestrating the robbery.

Mohammed testified that the men took him away against his will and called his girlfriend and ordered that she pay for his safe return.

Mohammed changed his testimony saying that his previous testimony was untrue and that he went with the men willingly.

Police prosecutor Cpl Carthy told Quinlan that PC Ramkissoon could not attend until January 13 next year.

Quinlan discharged the men in light of the circumstances.