KAMPALA, UGANDA: Uganda's foreign minister is being urged to resign following allegations in the United States that he accepted a bribe shortly after finishing his term as president of the UN General Assembly.

Sam Kutesa allegedly accepted a $500,000 bribe from Hong Kong's former home affairs secretary, Chi Ping Patrick Ho, who was charged in New York on Monday with violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Prosecutors said the bribe was meant to secure business advantages for an unidentified energy company.

Ugandan lawmaker Moses Adome said Thursday that Kutesa should "resign or step aside" to protect Uganda's image abroad.

Kutesa denies the allegations.

He is a wealthy businessman widely seen by critics to have benefited from his close ties with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. Kutesa's daughter is married to Museveni's son.