PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — Investigations are continuing into what the police say is the murder of Haseena Ali, the former commissioner and chairperson of the Board of Inland Revenue, whose body was found on Friday.

Ali, 74, was the recipient of the Public Service Medal of Merit (Gold) at the National Awards held on Republic Day.

The police reported that shortly before midday on Friday, residents saw smoke coming from the upper floor of Ali’s two-storey house.

The police, along with members of the fire department and residents, entered the home to assist Ali, but she was found in a pool of blood with a wound to her head.

The firemen were able to contain the blaze and the body was moved.

The police say Ali was stabbed several times before her house was set on fire.

Po­lice believe robbery was the motive and that Ali fought her attackers, which led to her demise.

The suspects, police said yesterday, lit a stove burn­er in an attempt to burn the house down with her in it.

However a badly wounded Ali still attempted to escape before she succumbed to her injuries and died before the fire engulfed most of her house.

Ali, the moth­er of a 37-year-old daughter and one of nine siblings, was a retiree from the Board of Inland Revenue, where she served as commissioner and chairman from 1995 to 2003 and was also a member of the Salaries Review Commission.

Meanwhile, the Ummah T&T Mus­lim Lob­by Group is call­ing on Com­mis­sion­er of Po­lice Gary Grif­fith to “leave no stone un­turned” in the investigations surrounding her murder.