Recover encrypted Oracle database

Question

A client fired their DBA. He used OWM to add a wallet to their Oracle database and secure a few necessary columns of tables that they need. I can see the walled using:

orapki wallet display -wallet /opt/oracle/home/owm/root

I do not know the password. The ex-employee will not divulge the password. With root access to the system, is it possible to remove the wallet or change the wallet's password?

NOTE: Not part of this problem, but for reference... Oracle Support told the client they are out of luck. I told them they are out of luck. They want a third (and fourth (and fifth)) opinion.