Is that a complete denial?

Every so often I hear someone say something that everyone seems to take as a denial but I hear something else. There was an example in The Independent on Friday:

'"There is no evidence to back up accusations that NUS stewards did anything to encourage this despicable violence," Aaron Porter, the NUS president, said'

So did the NUS stewards do anything  to encourage the despicable violence or is there just no evidence? Am I just being cynical?