Europe's most senior Olympic official was transferred to prison on Friday in Brazil as authorities investigated allegations that he was involved in an illegal ticket reselling scam.

Patrick Hickey was arrested on Wednesday, in a morning raid on his hotel, and was hospitalized with chest pains in the aftermath of this. On Thursday, medical staff at the Samaritano hospital released him back into custody, with his appeal for bail subsequently floundering on Friday.

The 71-year-old was transferred to Bangu prison in Rio.

Hickey on Wednesday evening announced that he would "temporarily step aside" from his functions with Ireland's OCI Olympic federation, as well as his position at the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He typically fulfils various roles within the Olympic machinery, including heading the European Olympic body.

Brazilian police say that they have seized more than 1,000 Olympic tickets allocated to Ireland's OCI during the course of their investigations. Prior to Hickey, two others were arrested amid allegations of OCI-allocated tickets landing on the black market. Among them was Kevin Mallon, an Irish national and the head of the sports hospitality company THG Sports; he is accused of selling tickets at inflated prices.

Once a judo athlete, Hickey lead the Irish team at the 1988 and 1992 Olympics before being elected an IOC member in 1995. He joined the ruling executive board four years ago.

msh/dv (AP, Reuters)