A Jamaican judge in Kingston has cleared the Beenie Man, the Grammy-winning musician, of tax evasion charges, saying the government never informed him of his legal rights.

Anthony Moses Davis, as the Beenie Man is called, had been charged for owing almost $US1m (₤560,000) in overdue taxes, Associated Press reports.

But Judge Owen Parkin threw out the case Tuesday, ruling evidence showed the entertainer was not informed of his rights when auditors made their assessment last year.

The singer is regarded as one of the biggest names in dancehall music for a decade. In 2001, he won a Grammy for his album ‘Art and Life’.