Obviously the results had not yet been received prior to his...

Obviously the results had not yet been received prior to his leaving.
If you want to know the reason for his leaving I suggest you ask David Regan.
Chaketma was always sheduled to follow the initial BEA exploration and it was always well known that much of the infrastructure and other feasability requirements were shared by the two projects. Perhaps you should read announcements, annual reports and press articles a bit more closely. Also, going to meetings and asking questions is a good source of information!

By the way, how is Athena working out for you?