To me, all information so far pieced together, sounds like he was subjected to a Judicial Committee and reproofed, lost privileges, which included being booted from the GB, but not from Bethel. In the spirit of how the JWs interpret 2 Thessalonians 3:15, this fits.
Now, to subject a senior member of a GB to a JC may be seen as part of a purge, of course. It may well be the case of younger softliners getting rid of the embarrassing hardline oldtimers. Tony Morris' drinking habits may have been the perfect excuse. Who needs another judge Rutherford these days?