[jfman]

So

1. They’d a good reason to want rid of him (he’s a PEP)
2. They had a committee meet to discuss a series of unrelated (bad) reasons and he’s a PEP. And wrote them all down for safekeeping.
3. Told him it was not because of the PEP at step 1
4. Told the BBC it was a third reason, specifically discounted on the list at 2
5. Sent him the list from 2, directly contradicting what they told the BBC and him

Seems legit.