Is your friend baptized? I could be wrong, but I thought the locution "A matter concerning ... has been dealt with" was reserved for unbaptized publishers? Or is that the new formula for reproof?
He's Baptized. I think they do that to let the cong. know he's been dealt with- but nothing juicy enough to publiccly reproove him...
(And the elder's in my cong. don't really play by the book... Any of the books... )