* Says watchdog Bafin ends several major special audits

* Says Bafin won't take further action on closed audits

* Says no action against former, current board in audits

* Some legal, regulatory issues remain (Adds CEO quote, background)

By Arno Schuetze and Jonathan Gould

FRANKFURT, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Germany's financial watchdog will take no further action against Deutsche Bank over interest rate rigging and precious metals price fixing, the country's largest lender said on Thursday.

It has also drawn a line under a special audit into a derivatives trade with Italy's Monte dei Paschi, Deutsche said in a statement.

Bafin, the regulator, confirmed that it had closed the special audits but declined to comment on details.

"Bafin does not see the need to take further action against the bank or former and current members of the management board with respect to the closed special audits," Deutsche said, adding that the regulator cited changes it had already implemented or planned to redress shortcomings for its decision.

Deutsche Bank is still examining whether it will take any action against individuals, several people familiar with the bank's policy said.

And Bafin is still looking into $10 billion in suspicious trades made by Deutsche Bank clients via its Moscow office, which may have allowed clients to move money from one country to another without alerting authorities in 2014.

BETTER CONTROLS

"We have taken many steps to improve our controls and processes and to strengthen the Bank's governance," Chief Executive John Cryan said in the statement.

At the bank's annual press conference last month, Cryan said he would personally make sure the bank drew a line under its legal headaches.

Deutsche Bank in April agreed to pay $2.5 billion to resolve investigations it manipulated benchmark interest rates used to price loans and contracts around the world. Authorities at the time also ordered the bank to fire employees and accused it of obstructing regulators.

Deutsche Bank was also probed for its role in alleged price rigging of for gold, silver, platinum and palladium.

The lender decided in late 2014 to wind down its physical precious metals trading business.

Separately, derivatives trades that Deutsche Bank set up for Italy's Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena are the target of investigations in Italy.

Milan prosecutors last week asked former and current managers at Deutsche Bank, Monte dei Paschi and Nomura to be sent to trial for a series of alleged financial crimes including false accounting.

The alleged offences revolve around two complex derivatives trades alleged to have been set up to conceal losses at the Italian bank.

(Editing by Andreas Cremer and Alexander Smith)