If confirmed, then I think Jay Sata can be thanked by HCAP for saving them from an increasingly difficult and embarrassing position.
It was not a surprise they believed her achievement to be greater than the reality - but the inability to retract was becoming messier and messier.
Nothing wrong with saying 'we made a mistake'. Indeed, a pilot's ability to admit a mistake without criticism is a primary factor in flight safety.
I wonder if there will be any formal statement from them?