It's important that articles like this are still being written, because they need to realise the pressure is going to stay on them over this until they finally come clean.
As you rightly say, the billionaire was invented 100% to stop AL's deal and for no other reason. Pattison & co no doubt thought that once that threat to their "reluctant" custodianship had been seen off, that they could just let the billionaire fade back into the scotch mist from where he appeared.
They need to understand that isn't going to happen and that they're going to have to face up to their actions, especially with the first anniversary of this embarrassment fast approaching.