I find it difficult to believe that anyone interested in this case has missed DCI Redwood's statement that neither the McCanns nor their friends are either suspects or persons of interest in this case!
What could be more clear? And who could be deemed a more reliable source than the police officer in charge of the investigation?
Personally I have only read press articles regarding the PJ stating they were not suspects - and also that the McCanns have met the Oporto team. This is an extract from the Times article which also reported on the Efits - whether you regard it as 'reliable' or not is your prerogative.
Quote
There was also an uncomfortable complication with Smith’s account. He had originally told the police that he had “recognised something” about the way Gerry McCann carried one of his children which reminded him of the man he had seen in Praia da Luz.
Smith has since stressed that he does not believe the man he saw was Gerry, and Scotland Yard do not consider this a possibility. Last week the McCanns were told officially by the Portuguese authorities that they are not suspects.
unquote
DCI Redwood did indeed say that the McCanns and their friends were not suspects or persons of interest. The remit of Operation Grange refers to a 'disappearance' and to an 'abduction', which were to be investigated 'as if they occurred in the UK'. In either case the first thing UK Police do is look at family and friends. Given DCI Redwood's declaration can we assume that has been done? We haven't been told, so we don't know. I don't know the remit of The PJ enquiry, but it seems to differ from that of Operation Grange, and the PJ are the lead team. The McCanns were brought in at the end of a meeting - see below;
At the request of The Policia Judiciara, AC Mark Rowley and DCI Andy Redwood attended a meeting with senior officers on 17 October, in Lisbon, to discuss this significant development, and for a comprehensive briefing on the new lines of enquiry which, at this point, are separate to the lines of enquiry being followed by the MPS. At the conclusion of that meeting, the group were joined by Kate and Gerry McCann who were briefed on the plans to apply to reopen the investigation.
http://content.met.police.uk/News/Portuguese-authorities-reopen-investigation-into-Madeleine-McCann/1400020769305/1257246745756As you don't provide a link to The Times article I can't comment on whether it's reliable or not, but given the track record of newspapers in this case I take all their stories with a large pinch of salt. I can't find any reports saying the PJ have declared that the McCann's are not suspects.