That would suggest that there is a lot of speculation, etc. going on in JW circles that is getting back to the GB, enough that they feel the need to address it. Plenty of speculation about it going on here, but this is hardly their target audience.
Is there a lot of chat in Kingdom Halls about Tony?
jehovaxx is right: if they don't want speculation to fill the vacuum left by their lack of information, they should tell the truth. They've been so used to not telling the truth when a lie or half-truth will do, that I doubt truth-telling comes naturally to them.