Akon never should've been arrested, his team claims ... blaming the whole misunderstanding on a records-keeping issue.

A representative for the singer-songwriter tells us Akon already paid for the suspended license which resulted in his arrest ... but, the payment wasn't entered into the system properly.

We're told this clerical error -- a big one, if true -- will be rectified by the courts at Akon's hearing in early December.

ICYMI ... Georgia's DeKalb County Sheriff's Office took Akon into custody last week for an out-of-county warrant. They booked -- taking a mug shot at the time -- and released him within six hours of the arrest.

We learned the arrest was due to a bench warrant related to driving with a suspended license. Basically, cops say they spotted Akon's car stranded in the middle of the road after his battery apparently died. Cops found out he was driving on a suspended license and issued him a citation at the scene.

The officer also noted in the report, "An illegal vape in the center console was seized during the inventory and submitted for destruction."